Content area
Full Text
The LWS process is a pure oxygen bottom-blowing steelmaking process, jointly developed by CREUSOT - LOIRE, SACILOR (formerly WENDEL-SIDELOR) and Etablissements SPRUNCK. The process is based on oxygen tuyeres cooled by a liquid, for instance fuel oil. The first experiments on an industrial scale began in 1968 with 18.5t capacity vessel and mass production on a transformed Thomas converter started in 1971. Since this date, the process extended to several steelplants listed in table 1. As an illustration of the growing importance of LWS process, Figi shows the evolution of annual production of LWS crude steel in France (2.37millions of metric tons in 1976, but the annual capacity was about three millions of metric tons »t the end of the same year).
The LWS process combines the advantages of classic air bottom-blowing converters and those of use of pure oxygen, but it also presents several interesting characteristics.
The main technological characteristic is fluids arrival in the bottom, by a few tuyeres, as described by Fig2. The process is easily applicable in existing steelplants or in greenfield steelplants with minimal capital expenditure. With a short...