Combined blowing with three ‐ hole lance in a sidewall blowing converter

Traditionally, in stainless steelmaking converters, oxygen has been blown by a one‐hole lance (1 HL) and sidewall tuyères. In order to reduce the tap‐to‐tap time, the multi‐hole lance has been used for oxygen blowing. The aim of this work was to develop blowing practise for a multi‐hole lance to reduce the tap‐to‐tap time and minimise metal splashing and spitting in the sidewall blowing converter (chromium converter). In the chromium converter the chemical energy of liquid ferrochrome (which contains 4 % silicon and 7 % carbon) is utilised for scrap melting by oxidising the silicon and the part of carbon. The research has been made by a dynamically scaled water model and full‐scale converter. Used parameters were the gas flowrate from sidewall tuyères and lance, lance height, charge weight and position of multi‐hole lance. Splashing has been measured during blowing from walls (splashing) and mouth of the converter model (spitting). The model tests indicated less splashing and spitting by the three‐hole lance (3 HL) than traditional 1 HL. The 1 HL caused strong skulling of the converter cone. By 3 HL blowing the position of the lance has a remarkable effect on the direction and the amount of splashing and lance life. Because of hot metal‐slag splashes, the life time of the 3 HL was halved by position 1 (compared to 1 HL). With the lance position 2 the splashing decreased by approx. 50% in model tests and lance life time increased by ~ 50% (compared to 1 HL) in the full‐scale converter. The model agreed well with the full‐scale converter. According to the process tests, the nominal productivity of the chromium converter has increased 15 % and depending on the refining practise and the silicon content of ferrochromium the lining life has increased 20 ‐ 30 %. In the future the multi‐hole lance will be tested in the AOD vessel.