1.

INTRODUCTION
The need for the use of Direct Reduction Iron (DRI) products in Electric Arc
Furnace in teel !a"in# has $een li!ited to stand alone steel plants in
de%elopin#
countries for the past &' (ears. This has #enerall( $een in locations )here
natural
#as has $een a%aila$le as a reductant* see +#. (1) . The installed capacit( for
DRI has
ne%er $een operated at full capacit(* ,an( such installations ha%e ne%er
operated *
and ha%e $een !o%ed or sold at a loss . The reason )as that lo) - residual
scrap has
$een a%aila$le in the de%eloped )orld at prices $elo) the operatin# cost of
the DRI
plants and teel!a"in# ha%e $een )illin# to pa( a pre!iu! to scrap price for
the
DRI product
All of that has $een chan#ed * $ecause of the chan#e in product !i. !ade $(
EAF operators. The ad%ent of relati%it( lo) capital cost /at - Rolled plants of
a$out
1 ,, ton capacit( $ased on sla$ castin# technolo#( has allo)ed the EAF
operators
to e.pand a)a( fro! the lon# products that ha%e t(picall( $een !a"in# .
0o)e%er*
there has $een insu1cient reco#nition of the rolled of residuals in /at
products
properties and this #oin# to lead to a !a2or increase in de!and for direct
reduced
products . Flat products #enerall( re3uire less than '.4' 5 total residuals (Cu
6 Cr 6
Ni 6 ,o 6 n 6 7 6 ) * !uch lo)er than do lon# products.
In particular re$ar and structural re#ularl( contain !ore than '.8 5 residuals
and !an( other !erchant 3ualit( products do as )ell * !eanin# that the( can
$e
!ade fro! essential all o$solete scrap. Flat product )ith '.4 5 !a.. residual
can
not $e !ade fro! o$solete scrap )ithout si#ni+cant dilution $( %er( lo)
residual
!aterial .see +#. 1 * 4).
4. C',7ARI'N9:IT0 C'N;ENTIONA< 7R=CE
>last furnace route is the !a2or con%entional process of steel ,a"in#. There
are
electric s!eltin# furnaces and retort s!eltin# furnaces too* $ut so far* the
$last furnace
process is used for $i##est share of the )orld?s steel production. In this
section* the direct
reduction process co!pared )ith the $last furnace route.
Fi#ure@1 sho)s the diAerences in se3uences of steel production* usin#
con%entional
and direct reduction !ethods.
>( co!parin# these t)o !ethods* one co!es to the conclusion that a direct
reduction
plant is !uch easier than a $last furnace to $e operated* since the product of
direct
reduction is solid and DR plants are relati%el( si!pler. ,oreo%er* $( usin#
!etalliBed
iron !etallur#(* steel can $e !ade in a %er( /e.i$le and especiall( pro+ta$le
)a(
usin# s!all production units* )hich )ould n o r. $e feasi$le )ith a $last
furnace plant
on account of the e.cessi%e capital cost re3uired for $last furnaces* >OF*
sinterin#
and co"in# units. Another ad%anta#e of the direct reduction process is that
%arious
t(pes of fuels )hich are unsuita$le for the $last furnace operation can $e
utiliBed and
can therefore $e oAered at a lo)C price and the co"in# coal* essential in $last
furnace*
$ut a%aila$le in li!ited countries can $e replaced $( other sources of ener#(.
7resentl(. in order to practice the con%entional !ethod co!petiti%el( and
o$tain
the $est return on in%est!ent* !a2or steel!a"ers ha%e started usin# lar#e
$last furnaces
or appro.i!atel( 8*''' !& inner %olu!e* it is therefore clear that* )here
such a
de!and does not e.ist or )here * for so!e reasons* a s!aller capacit( is
feasi$le* DR
plants can pro%e the!sel%es !ore econo!ic and $ecause their s!all
capacit( can $e
full( utilised* the( can $e used at. their pea" e1cienc(. For tin is reason the
direct
reduction !odules of a%era#e D''*''' tonC(ear capacit( are #oin# to $e in
co!!on
use )orld)ide.
&. 7ROCE AND 7<ANT DECRI7TION
The ,IDREE Direct Reduction 7rocess con%erts iron o.ide in either pellet or
lu!p for! to hi#hl( !etalliBed iron for steel!a"in#. In order to pro%ide a
$etter
understandin# of the uni3ueness and superiorit( of the ,IDREE 7rocess* the
follo)in#
is a description of the process che!istr(* process /o) and plant e3uip!ent
used in
,IDREE Direct Reduction 7lants.