#194 - What is iBOF?

To begin, BOF is an acronym for Basic Oxygen Furnace. It is also a concept that is comprised of the furnace itself and an improved process for making steel from iron.

Excerpts from Wikipedia: 

"Basic oxygen steelmaking (BOS, BOP, BOF, and OSM), also known as Linz-Donawitz-Verfahren steelmaking or the oxygen converter process is a method of primary steelmaking in which carbon-rich molten pig iron is made into steel. Blowing oxygen through molten pig iron lowers the carbon content of the alloy and changes it into low-carbon steel. The process is known as basic because fluxes of burnt lime or dolomite, which are chemical bases, are added to promote the removal of impurities and protect the lining of the converter.

The process was developed in 1948 by Robert Durrer and commercialized in 1952–1953 by Austrian VOEST and ÖAMG. The LD converter, named after the Austrian towns Linz and Donawitz (a district of Leoben) is a refined version of the Bessemer converter where blowing of air is replaced with blowing oxygen. It reduced capital cost of the plants, time of smelting, and increased labor productivity. Between 1920 and 2000, labor requirements in the industry decreased by a factor of 1,000, from more than 3 worker-hours per tonne to just 0.003. The vast majority of steel manufactured in the world is produced using the basic oxygen furnace; in 2000, it accounted for 60% of global steel output. Modern furnaces will take a charge of iron of up to 350 tons and convert it into steel in less than 40 minutes, compared to 10–12 hours in an open hearth furnace."

There are ways to optimize this process to further improve yields and increase efficiency. This brings us to iBOF.

iBOF as a registered trademark is a modular technology developed and offered by Tenova Goodfellow Inc. It is available either as an integrated technology package or as independent standalone modules to meet each customer's specific needs. The acronym itself stands for Intelligent Basic Oxygen Furnace.

The iBOF concept consists of the following modules:

End-point Detection Technology: is based on the industry-proven EFSOP off-gas analysis, off-gas sensors to measure temperature, flow and pressure and BOF process control models designed to enable a "Blow & Tap" practice without additional cost and delays associated with Sub-Lance Technology.

Slop Detection Technology: uses lance vibration analysis with real-time alerts to give operators advance warning of the onset of a slop event (link & link) and a measurement of slop severity. The system is designed to provide direct feedback control of lance position and oxygen flow rate, for rapid mitigation of the effects of a slop.

Optimized Post-Combustion Technology: uses EFSOP off-gas analysis in combination with off-gas temperature, flow and pressure sensors and a dual-flow lance with independent control of primary and secondary oxygen to control oxygen flow-rate, penetration, and timing. The result is optimal post-combustion efficiency and increased scrap-melting capability with minimal refractory or lance wear.

Auto-tapping Technology: employs advanced image analysis together with process models to control tapping practice, in either an operator-assist mode or a fully automatic mode. The benefits of this technology are decreased tap time and variability, reduced slag carry-over, and improved operator safety.

For more information, contact:

Tenova Goodfellow Inc.

6711 Mississauga Road, Suite 200

Mississauga, ON

L5N 2W3 - Canada

Phone +1 905 567 3030

Fax +1 905 567 3899

goodfellow@ca.tenovagroup.com

EFSOP and iBOF are registered trademarks of Tenova Goodfellow Inc.

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