Tata Steel Thailand

EAF: High Quality Steel-Making Process

Reinforced concrete structure requires quality steel that matches with the concrete in order
to strengthen the structure according to construction design, its purpose, as well as to be safe.
Controlling all of these aspects must cover from upstream process, that is the material especially
structural material, design, construction process, up to submitting for occupancy permit and building
management.
EAF: High Quality Steel Production
The process of making quality steel has at least two integral factors. First, raw material must
be well selected. In the case of using steel scrap, it must be sorted according to its quality from the
point of origin. Second factor is the production process or the melting process. The process with
highest quality at present is the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) process. The EAF process was widely used
in the U.S.A. in 1975 AD. It was used to produce 20% of steel that same year and increased to 50% in
2000 AD. The growth is because this process uses less power comparing to other process where the
quality is still at the required level.

The EAF process starts with putting steel scrap into the furnace, then electrode graphite rods
with high current of more than 500V move towards the scrap resulting in induction at more than
2000 degrees Celsius that melted the scrap into liquid steel.

When all scrap is turned into liquid steel, oxygen is added to the mixture, which results in
oxidation, forming slag so that impurities are taken out. This process purifies the liquid steel before
adjusting the composition. These combinations of procedures are done in batches so that the quality
of each batch can be controlled to the required standards.
Supports High-Grade Steel Production
Steel that are mostly used in Thailand are in SD40 grade, followed by SD50. In the meantime,
steel manufacturers, government sectors, and related organizations have been working together to
set a new industrial standard for SD60 rebar. The EAF process supports the production of SD60 as
well as other specifications especially super ductile rebars for seismic-resistant structures.

The Electric Arc Furnace is the basis of TIS steel production and is an essential foundation in
the development of higher quality steel.

LD slag is a byproduct of the Linz-Donawitz process and is constantly produced as pig iron is
processed into crude steel.

Liquid LD slag is produced during the LD process as pig iron is processed into crude
steel. Slag is not a random product, but rather a consequence of the Linz-Donawitz
process, which uses steel as well as LD slag. The slag is separated from the crude
steel, separately processed, and its chemical composition analyzed. At the end of
the process, the main components of the slag are iron oxide, calcium oxide, and
silicon dioxide.
Iron and steelmaking are principally subject to permanent process and quality
controls. Deliberate control of the steel manufacturing process influences both the
quality of the steel and the slag. The quality assurance for LD slag is subject to
standardized in-house production controls, as well as external monitoring. A
comprehensive range of chemical examinations are carried out to ensure the quality
of LD slags, and are used as the basis for the process controls.
Due to its specific characteristics, a part of the LD slag is fed back into the iron and
steelmaking process to increase raw materials efficiency. This removes the need for
considerable quantities of primary sources of iron and lime. To date, a majority of the
slag is used in road construction, with a smaller portion going to the cement industry.

About Tata Refractories Limited

Established in 1958, Tata Refractories Limited has pioneered refractory production in India. Today,
this ISO 9001 company is the largest refractory company in India with a wide range of products like
Basic, Dolomite, High Alumina, Monolithic & Silica Refractories having a consolidated installed
capacity of 3,04,760 TPA (FY ‘10). Its key customers span the Steel, Cement, Glass, Copper, and
Aluminium industries. Its main Works is located at Belpahar in the district of Jharsuguda in the state
of Odisha, India. The company has two subsidiaries viz TRL Asia Pvt. Ltd. (a Singapore based SPV)
and TRL China Ltd, 100% subsidiary of TRL Asia Pvt. Ltd. In FY10, its consolidated turnover was
Rs 905 crores and the EBITDA stood at Rs 101 crores. For further details please visit
: www.tataref.com

Refractory Engineering & Management Services (REMS)

REMS
Services we provide
. Providing Refractories Solutions
. Project Management on Turnkey basis
. Designing of Refractories Shapes
. Thermal Calculations for Refractories
. Supply of Refractories & Auxilliary Materials(SS anchors, Cement Module, Blanket,
Insulation materials etc.)
. Installation & Supervision of Refactories Lining
. Dry out of Refractories