The shift from traditional blast furnaces to electric furnaces (E-furnaces) is changing the steel industry and bringing new challenges and opportunities. One of the key factors in this transformation is slag composition, which plays an important role in improving efficiency, producing better steel, and supporting more sustainable manufacturing.
At the recent Hüttentag 2024 in Essen, Alexander Schlemminger from QuantoLux GmbH gave a presentation on this topic. His talk, titled “Innovations for Grey, Green, and Blue Steel: The Role of Real-Time Slag Analysis in the Steel Industry,” explained how modern technologies can help solve the challenges of today’s steel production processes.
Slag, a by-product of steelmaking, helps refine and protect the molten steel. Make the slag and the steel makes itself. However, with the move from oxygen steelmaking to EAF Steelmaking and direct reduction plants, the input materials—like direct reduced iron (DRI) and scrap metal—have become more variable. This variability makes it harder to achieve the best slag composition. Traditional slag analysis methods, such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF), are too slow to match the speed of modern steel processes.
New methods like real-time optical emission spectrometry (OES) are changing the game. These techniques can provide slag analysis in less than one minute, at lower costs, and allow steelmakers to adjust their processes quickly. This results in better steel quality and improved efficiency in melting and refining processes.
As the steel industry works towards carbon-neutral production, having fast and accurate data becomes even more important. Real-time analysis allows steelmakers to respond to changes in raw materials, like DRI and scrap, and maintain high performance while reducing their environmental impact.
After Schlemminger’s talk, there were lively discussions about the importance of slag management and the role of new technologies in shaping the future of steel production. Events like Hüttentag 2024 bring experts together to share ideas and solutions, helping the industry move toward greener and more efficient practices.
Thanks to everyone who participated and made the event a success! Let’s continue working together for a more sustainable future in steel production.
Stay connected with QuantoLux GmbH for more updates and innovations!
Read more on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7264765357876297728/
Read about the conference: https://www.home-of-steel.de/huettentag
Questions: alexander.schlemminger@quantolux.de