Markets > Steel Industry

Carmeuse Lime & Stone is dedicated to excellence and the advancement of steel making technology in North America. We are a full service company in partnership with steel companies and strategic alliances for providing quality lime products, technical support for steel process improvement and product development of lime-based materials specific for the requirements of individual steel plants.

Leading the way for Carmeuse technology in the Steel Industry is its Dolomitic Quicklime to replace imported Chinese Magnesite. [Click here for Information].

Industry Overview: Lime and Limestone Applications Steel Manufacturing

The steel industry worldwide is highly competitive. Conventional practices and methods continue to give way to new technologies and knowledge about the steelmaking process. United States and Canadian steel companies have met the challenge in many ways by utilizing the variety of lime products and limestone available in these improved or new steel manufacturing processes. The use of lime and limestone is basic and critical to the production of steel. The United States and Canadian steel companies remain competitive due to the effectiveness of lime compared to alternate fluxes geing offered. Lime helps in maintaining high quality standards in steel production and cost effectiveness.

Accordingly, in the marketplace, the steel industry accounts for the largest consumption of lime. Lime and limestone are primarily used in three processes:

• For the conversion process of iron ore into pig iron. In the blast furnace, crushed limestone from 1/2 inch to 2 inches is used together with iron ore, sinter, pellets and coke in the blast furnace for the reduction into pig iron. The pig iron is later processed into steel.




• As a fluxing agent in (EAF) Electric Arc Furnaces and (BOF) Basic Oxygen Furnaces. In the EAF, scrap is added with high calcium lime and dolomitic lime through mechanical feed systems or injection equipment to produce a basic slag that provides refractory protection and foamy slag for efficient energy control.
  
  In the BOF, converting pig iron steel requires the use of both high calcium and dolomitic quicklime to provide refractory protection and removal of impurities (silica, phosphorus, sulfur) from the steel being manufactured




• In Secondary Metallurgy where additional refining of steel takes place for stainless steel production using a converter called (AOD), argon -- oxygen decarburization furnace and in the (LMF) ladle metallurgical furnaces or vacuum degassers, lime provides the proper slag conditions in removing steel impurities, lower oxygen content and inclusion removal for high quality grades. 




 


The two types of lime commonly used in steel manufacturing are:

 




• Metallurgical High Calcium lime - pebble, injection lime and pulverized lime

• Metallurgical Dolomitic lime - pebble, injection lime and pulverized lime


Because of the improved practices and methods that go into the manufacture of steel, metallurgical lime must always meet exacting specifications in both physical and chemical properties. 

Carmeuse Lime & Stone
11 Stanwix Street • 21st Floor • Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 1-412-995-5500
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