In North America, the most common material recycled is Steel. Counting back to more than 150 years ago the steel industry has recycled such materials on a daily basis in mass quantities due to the economical advantages. Since recycling is far more economically smart than paying workers to mine the iron ore and go through the procedures of production to form new steel which is no better than recycled. This is because while recycling no physical properties are lost during the process and requires far less energy and materials than if we were to refine from iron ore into new steel. The annual consumption of energy has been reduced by more around 75% each year due to the recycling of steel. To understand how much energy this is, nearly eighteen million homes could be powered for one whole year. In 2005 alone over 76 million tons of steel was recycled. For each ton of recycled steel, 630k kilograms of coal, 55kg of limestone, and 1,100kg of iron ore is saved.
In the past years, about 75% of all produced steel has been recycled. Most industrial steel such as structural plates and beams are recycled 97.5% of the time in 2004 and 2005. For other varieties of steel elements like reinforcement bars the recycling rate is a bit lower at 65%. Due to this high recycle rate most structured steel usually contains about 95% recycled content. Lighter, flat rolled steel only contains roughly 30% recycled materials. Since steel beams are made to be a standard dimension, a small amount of waste is produced while in construction. The little amount that is produced during construction can be recycled. Steel has advantages over wood in many ways. A few are stability, quality, and for economic reasons. A normal 2000 square-foot two-level house would use about five to six recycled cars for its steel frame. On the other hand using wood can require up to if not more than 40-50 trees.
Each year the demand for steel strengthens. There is a fair amount of steel that exists today and most is actively used daily. However, recycled steel has to be augmented by a "first-use" metal, extracted from raw materials. Automobiles, cans, appliances are a few of the more common steels recycled daily. Typical automobiles are roughly 66% iron and steel and appliances are a smaller amount lower at 65% steel by weight. Recycling the steel usually happens through the interlaced steel mills and the standard oxygen routine. Most steel is normally electrically melted by a furnace or for high alloyed products a furnace for induction is used.
Article Source: http://www.articlebase.info
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Steelmaking: Continuous Casting
Continuous Casting: training video from the Corus BCSA training pack
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their compounds, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals the way in which science is applied to their practical use.
Metallurgy is commonly used in the craft of metalworking.The earliest recorded metal employed by humans appears to be gold which can be found free or "native". Small amounts of natural gold have been found in Spanish caves used during the late Paleolithic period, c. 40,000 BC.
The extraction of iron from its ore into a workable metal is much more difficult. It appears to have been invented by the Hittites in about 1200 B.C., beginning the Iron Age. The secret of extracting and working iron was a key factor in the success of the Philistines.
Historical developments in ferrous metallurgy can be found in a wide variety of past cultures and civilizations. This includes the ancient and medieval kingdoms and empires of the Middle East and Near East, ancient Egypt and Anatolia (Turkey), Carthage, the Greeks and Romans of ancient Europe, medieval Europe, ancient and medieval China, ancient and medieval India, ancient and medieval Japan, etc.
Of interest to note is that many applications, practices, and devices associated or involved in metallurgy were first established in ancient China long before Europeans mastered these crafts (such as the innovation of the blast furnace, cast iron, steel, hydraulic-powered trip hammers, etc.)
Tata Steel in the Mid of Mittal's Arcelor Bid
L N Mittal's audacious USD 22.0 bn bid for steel giant Arcelor must have left the top management in a pensive mood. Arcelor is an important joint-venture partner in Tata Steel's ambitious automotive steels foray.
The Indian steel major has major plans for the automotive steels segment and has been quite aggressive in winning new business from Indian carmakers. Tata Steel now has a supply contract with most Indian carmakers including Maruti, Hyundai, Hyundai, Honda and Ford, a position of strength built nearly entirely in the last five years.
Arcelor, along with Nippon Steel is the strength of Tata Steel's automotive foray. The joint-venture with Arcelor signed in July 2003 granted Tata Steel license to Arcelor's Hot Dip Galvanised (HDG) products. Further, behind the scenes work was going on regarding the development of low cost speciality automotive steels for critical applications like fuel tanks (a major chunk of these steels are still imported) and also helping Tata Steel venture into the halo legion of laser welded Tailored Blanks.
Now with L N Mittal baring his teeth to bite into the apple called Arcelor, a successful takeover may lead to a precarious situation for Tata Steel. Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/tata-steel-in-the-mid-of-mittals-arcelor-bid-219377.html
The Indian steel major has major plans for the automotive steels segment and has been quite aggressive in winning new business from Indian carmakers. Tata Steel now has a supply contract with most Indian carmakers including Maruti, Hyundai, Hyundai, Honda and Ford, a position of strength built nearly entirely in the last five years.
Arcelor, along with Nippon Steel is the strength of Tata Steel's automotive foray. The joint-venture with Arcelor signed in July 2003 granted Tata Steel license to Arcelor's Hot Dip Galvanised (HDG) products. Further, behind the scenes work was going on regarding the development of low cost speciality automotive steels for critical applications like fuel tanks (a major chunk of these steels are still imported) and also helping Tata Steel venture into the halo legion of laser welded Tailored Blanks.
Now with L N Mittal baring his teeth to bite into the apple called Arcelor, a successful takeover may lead to a precarious situation for Tata Steel. Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/tata-steel-in-the-mid-of-mittals-arcelor-bid-219377.html
Iron and Carbon Make Wonderful Things When Allied With An Alloy
We've grown up hearing about stainless steel our whole lives. But how many people actually know what it really is? Let's take a look at the process of making steel stainless and some of its general applications.
English metallurgist Harry Brearley invented stainless steel in 1912 while he was researching alloys to protect cannons from erosion. The first commercial production of stainless steel occurred in August 1913. A few years later, stainless steel played a key role in building valves for aircraft engines during World War I. By the 1920's, people were finding myriad uses for stainless steel in America. Most famously, the seven arches on top of the Chrysler Building in New York City were clad in stainless steel in 1929.
Chemically speaking, stainless steel is defined as an iron and carbon alloy with a minimum of 11.5 percent chromium content. Its name indicates some of its properties, because it does not stain or rust as easily as ordinary steel. It is also sometimes referred to as corrosion resistant steel. It should not be confused with galvanized steel. Galvanized steel is dipped into zinc to prevent corrosion. Galvanized steel is created when the zinc goes through a reaction with the iron molecules. The most external layer is all zinc, but successive layers are a mixture of zinc and iron, with an interior of pure steel in galvanized steel.
Manganese is often found in many stainless steel compositions.
Manganese preserves an austenitic structure in the steel akin to nickel, and it is less expensive. Austenitic stainless steel makes up about 70 percent of the world's overall stainless steel production. Super austenitic stainless steels have high molybdenum contents and nitrogen additions, as well as higher nickel content. Because of these additions, they have a tremendous resistance to chloride pitting and crevice corrosion. Other types of stainless steel include martenistic, ferritic and duplex, all of which have different compositions and strengths suited to various applications.
When its composition is 18 percent manganese and 10 percent nickel, it is often referred to as 18/10 stainless steel, which is often used in high-quality flatware. There are many different grades and surface finishes of stainless steel, which makes the material very adaptable to numerous applications. Look at the watch on your wrist. It's likely made from stainless steel. It is also to make airplanes, surgical appliances, building materials, cookware, cutlery, hardware, cars and jewelry.
Mill finishes can be applied to flat rolled stainless steel with the use of mechanical abrasives and the rollers themselves. After it is rolled to size and annealed, oxidation is removed and the passivation layer is made on its surface. At this time, a final finish can be added to enhance the appearance of the steel.
For example, a sheet may have a matte finish to it, where the face of the material is abrasively polished leaving a clean but dull sheen to the surface. This is often desired where the material will be used in a high visibility, high use location; the surface will not show scratches and scars as readily as a highly polished finish.
Stainless steel is available in both hot rolled steel sheets and cold rolled steel sheets, and it can also be obtained in plates, rolls, strips, foil and bars.
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English metallurgist Harry Brearley invented stainless steel in 1912 while he was researching alloys to protect cannons from erosion. The first commercial production of stainless steel occurred in August 1913. A few years later, stainless steel played a key role in building valves for aircraft engines during World War I. By the 1920's, people were finding myriad uses for stainless steel in America. Most famously, the seven arches on top of the Chrysler Building in New York City were clad in stainless steel in 1929.
Chemically speaking, stainless steel is defined as an iron and carbon alloy with a minimum of 11.5 percent chromium content. Its name indicates some of its properties, because it does not stain or rust as easily as ordinary steel. It is also sometimes referred to as corrosion resistant steel. It should not be confused with galvanized steel. Galvanized steel is dipped into zinc to prevent corrosion. Galvanized steel is created when the zinc goes through a reaction with the iron molecules. The most external layer is all zinc, but successive layers are a mixture of zinc and iron, with an interior of pure steel in galvanized steel.
Manganese is often found in many stainless steel compositions.
Manganese preserves an austenitic structure in the steel akin to nickel, and it is less expensive. Austenitic stainless steel makes up about 70 percent of the world's overall stainless steel production. Super austenitic stainless steels have high molybdenum contents and nitrogen additions, as well as higher nickel content. Because of these additions, they have a tremendous resistance to chloride pitting and crevice corrosion. Other types of stainless steel include martenistic, ferritic and duplex, all of which have different compositions and strengths suited to various applications.
When its composition is 18 percent manganese and 10 percent nickel, it is often referred to as 18/10 stainless steel, which is often used in high-quality flatware. There are many different grades and surface finishes of stainless steel, which makes the material very adaptable to numerous applications. Look at the watch on your wrist. It's likely made from stainless steel. It is also to make airplanes, surgical appliances, building materials, cookware, cutlery, hardware, cars and jewelry.
Mill finishes can be applied to flat rolled stainless steel with the use of mechanical abrasives and the rollers themselves. After it is rolled to size and annealed, oxidation is removed and the passivation layer is made on its surface. At this time, a final finish can be added to enhance the appearance of the steel.
For example, a sheet may have a matte finish to it, where the face of the material is abrasively polished leaving a clean but dull sheen to the surface. This is often desired where the material will be used in a high visibility, high use location; the surface will not show scratches and scars as readily as a highly polished finish.
Stainless steel is available in both hot rolled steel sheets and cold rolled steel sheets, and it can also be obtained in plates, rolls, strips, foil and bars.
Article Directory : Aticle Board
Bethlehem Steel: the Steel That Built America
The doors to the steelworks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania closed for the last time in 1995, bringing to an end 140 years of steel-making in the town. Although no longer in its spiritual home, Bethlehem Steel continues to produce Steel, but its major production facility is now based in Burns Harbor, Indiana. The company has had its ups and downs, has been involved in providing steel for the construction of many railroads, bridges and iconic buildings throughout America and was the forerunner in the production of the steel girders used to build skyscrapers.
The first steel produced in Bethlehem was at the Saucona Iron Company, opened in 1857. Four years later the company changed its name to the Bethlehem Iron Company and in 1863 started mass production of iron railroad rails, used in the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. Over the next forty years contracts to supply steel were agreed with the US Navy, and by the time that Charles M. Schwab was appointed chairman in 1904 Bethlehem Steel Corporation not only had a huge plant in South Bethlehem, but ironworks in Cuba and shipyards on both US coasts.
In 1908 the company started production of wide-flange structural section steel,
leading to a building revolution; those sections being used in the new phenomenon of skyscraper construction. Five years later Bethlehem Steel acquired the Fore Shipbuilding Company in Quincy, Mass. to become one of the country’s largest shipbuilders.
World War I provided Bethlehem Steel with a great opportunity to expand. At the start of the conflict the company had an annual production capacity of 1.1 million tons and employed 15,600 workers. By 1925, after supplying armor, ships, ordnance, guns and munitions for the US and Allied Forces during and immediately after the war, annual production grew to 8.5 million tons and the company’s workforce had grown to 60,000.
In the early thirties Bethlehem Steel continued to grow through acquisition, buying steel companies on the Pacific coast as well as McClintic-Marshall Corp., a major bridge and building construction company. This was the golden era for American construction and Bethlehem Steel was responsible for such landmark constructions as: the Golden Gate Bridge, U.S. Supreme Court, Rockefeller Plaza, Waldorf-Astoria and the George Washington Bridge.
During World War II Bethlehem Steel shifted all its production into military hardware, employing close on 300,000 workers of which 180,000 were directly involved in ship-building. Post-war, the company returned to producing steel for US domestic projects, as well as the military, and continued to thrive.
The 1960s saw steel imported to the USA reaching record levels, but Bethlehem still home-produced steel for such iconic structures as Madison Square Garden, Newport Bridge and the second Delaware Memorial Bridge. In 1973 Bethlehem Steel reported an income of $207 million, producing record levels of 23.7 million tons of raw steel and 16.3million tons of finished steel. The company continued to thrive, but in the early 1980s imported steel was making more of an impact, which forced a radical restructure of Bethlehem Steel, resulting in a halving of the workforce over five years in the mid-80s. Consolidation followed over the next ten years and reluctantly the production facility at Bethlehem – where it all began – was shut down in 1995.
Today, Bethlehem has recovered from the loss of its steelworks and is undergoing an economic and cultural renaissance. Hotels in Bethlehem once used by those who had business at the steelworks are now re-inventing themselves as tourist and conference centers. The steel may be long gone in Bethlehem, but the entrepreneurial spirit of its citizens is alive and well.
Article Directory : Article Base
The first steel produced in Bethlehem was at the Saucona Iron Company, opened in 1857. Four years later the company changed its name to the Bethlehem Iron Company and in 1863 started mass production of iron railroad rails, used in the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. Over the next forty years contracts to supply steel were agreed with the US Navy, and by the time that Charles M. Schwab was appointed chairman in 1904 Bethlehem Steel Corporation not only had a huge plant in South Bethlehem, but ironworks in Cuba and shipyards on both US coasts.
In 1908 the company started production of wide-flange structural section steel,
leading to a building revolution; those sections being used in the new phenomenon of skyscraper construction. Five years later Bethlehem Steel acquired the Fore Shipbuilding Company in Quincy, Mass. to become one of the country’s largest shipbuilders.
World War I provided Bethlehem Steel with a great opportunity to expand. At the start of the conflict the company had an annual production capacity of 1.1 million tons and employed 15,600 workers. By 1925, after supplying armor, ships, ordnance, guns and munitions for the US and Allied Forces during and immediately after the war, annual production grew to 8.5 million tons and the company’s workforce had grown to 60,000.
In the early thirties Bethlehem Steel continued to grow through acquisition, buying steel companies on the Pacific coast as well as McClintic-Marshall Corp., a major bridge and building construction company. This was the golden era for American construction and Bethlehem Steel was responsible for such landmark constructions as: the Golden Gate Bridge, U.S. Supreme Court, Rockefeller Plaza, Waldorf-Astoria and the George Washington Bridge.
During World War II Bethlehem Steel shifted all its production into military hardware, employing close on 300,000 workers of which 180,000 were directly involved in ship-building. Post-war, the company returned to producing steel for US domestic projects, as well as the military, and continued to thrive.
The 1960s saw steel imported to the USA reaching record levels, but Bethlehem still home-produced steel for such iconic structures as Madison Square Garden, Newport Bridge and the second Delaware Memorial Bridge. In 1973 Bethlehem Steel reported an income of $207 million, producing record levels of 23.7 million tons of raw steel and 16.3million tons of finished steel. The company continued to thrive, but in the early 1980s imported steel was making more of an impact, which forced a radical restructure of Bethlehem Steel, resulting in a halving of the workforce over five years in the mid-80s. Consolidation followed over the next ten years and reluctantly the production facility at Bethlehem – where it all began – was shut down in 1995.
Today, Bethlehem has recovered from the loss of its steelworks and is undergoing an economic and cultural renaissance. Hotels in Bethlehem once used by those who had business at the steelworks are now re-inventing themselves as tourist and conference centers. The steel may be long gone in Bethlehem, but the entrepreneurial spirit of its citizens is alive and well.
Article Directory : Article Base
Steel History
Everyday, all around the world, we all experience steel. Our vehicles, our roofs, and the buildings we work in—they all impact us. Sometimes we can see it. Sometimes we walk on it and don't even know it.
Steel is vital to the economic stability of every developing country in the world. The steel industry supplies more that $50 billion worth of economic activity in the United States alone.
Countries like China and Russia create enormous demands for steel—straining full capacity steel suppliers.
History of Steel
Many people think steel is a product of the modern age. Not so. Some experts date steel manufacturing to 1,400 BC in Africa. The Chinese used steel, as far back as 200 BC, to successfully manufacture weapons. However, these were primitive steel making ages.
It wasn't until the 1600s that steel making became a large scale operation. Again, steel was used primarily to forge weapons. But during this time, inventors began to experiment with steel for different uses.
After hundreds of years of steel processing, different techniques introduced allowed steel to be manufactured and used on a large scale.
The Steel Marketplace
Steel, unlike most commodities, is not traded on a futures exchange. How is steel's price regulated? By market fluctuations, brought on by major supply and demand differences around the world.
As world economies expand and contract, the price of steel expands and contracts across continents. Speculation runs wild as to whether steel will be brought into a financial exchange
Steel in a Green World
There's no doubt that steel plays a vital role in the world economy. But, steel's creation is running straight into the green movement. Governments are increasingly enacting laws which restrict emissions generated by steel production.
Steel recycling programs help alleviate environmental stress by reducing the emissions produced from steel smelting.
As technology advances, manufacturers are finding better and cleaners processes for manufacturing steel.
Steel has become the commodity which is building the world. From ancient times until now, people have understood steel's significance for a modern, functioning world.
Article Directory: Article Base
Steel is vital to the economic stability of every developing country in the world. The steel industry supplies more that $50 billion worth of economic activity in the United States alone.
Countries like China and Russia create enormous demands for steel—straining full capacity steel suppliers.
History of Steel
Many people think steel is a product of the modern age. Not so. Some experts date steel manufacturing to 1,400 BC in Africa. The Chinese used steel, as far back as 200 BC, to successfully manufacture weapons. However, these were primitive steel making ages.
It wasn't until the 1600s that steel making became a large scale operation. Again, steel was used primarily to forge weapons. But during this time, inventors began to experiment with steel for different uses.
After hundreds of years of steel processing, different techniques introduced allowed steel to be manufactured and used on a large scale.
The Steel Marketplace
Steel, unlike most commodities, is not traded on a futures exchange. How is steel's price regulated? By market fluctuations, brought on by major supply and demand differences around the world.
As world economies expand and contract, the price of steel expands and contracts across continents. Speculation runs wild as to whether steel will be brought into a financial exchange
Steel in a Green World
There's no doubt that steel plays a vital role in the world economy. But, steel's creation is running straight into the green movement. Governments are increasingly enacting laws which restrict emissions generated by steel production.
Steel recycling programs help alleviate environmental stress by reducing the emissions produced from steel smelting.
As technology advances, manufacturers are finding better and cleaners processes for manufacturing steel.
Steel has become the commodity which is building the world. From ancient times until now, people have understood steel's significance for a modern, functioning world.
Article Directory: Article Base
STEEL MAKING PROCESS : Ladle
Here we see a furnace pouring its molten steel into a ladle, which will then be poured into forms to created "billets".
STEEL MAKING PROCESS : Scrap Melting
Here is a steel making furnace being "charged" with scrap steel. The fire you see is about 3000 degrees!
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