OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE WITH A 180-T LADLE FURNACE

The new plant for ladle metallurgy is designed to allow the treatment not only of silicon steels isn 180 t ladles but also of stainless and forging steel grades in 100 t and 65 t ladles. It consists of a heating station, a vacuum degassing unit, a powder injection system and the VOD plant for oxygen injection under vacuum. The entire operation is automated on two levels and equipped with an automatic sampling system. Since its commissioning in March 1987, extremely low carbon contents of less than 100 ppm, low sulfur contents as well as substantially reduced manganese contents have been achieved, especially in steels for electric sheet.