Blast Furnace

The search for a more efficient and environmentally friendly steel mill starts at its origin - the blast furnace. Perantech is also on this quest and has been convincing for many years with innovative and sustainable solutions for all parts of the blast furnace. For the production of iron, the materials iron ore, coke and flux are mixed and melted at a temperature of up to 2200°C. The raw materials used are stored in the bunker and fed proportionally to the blast furnace via the furnace head. The hot air required for this process is generated by hot furnaces and fed into the blast furnace by means of tuyeres. The hot air is additionally enriched with oxygen by these water-cooled copper tuyeres, which enclose the blast furnace between the blowing section and the hearth. The waste gases (= flue gas) produced during the chemical reaction are discharged and filtered above the furnace head. The molten iron is tapped off together with the slag in the hearth area for further processing. Perantech is proud to supply all process relevant equipment such as hot stoves, cast house equipment, furnace top, furnace body and refractory material. With the help of further process steps, numerous alloys such as steel can be produced from the obtained pig iron. The slag, on the other hand, is mainly used in the cement industry.

Blast Furnace Shell

The optimal design of the shell is decisive for the safe and efficient operation of a blast furnace. The usually free-standing furnace mantle, which is made of crack-resistant steel, is designed according to a comprehensive stress distribution analysis. Due to its proximity to the blast furnace, it fulfils numerous areas of responsibility. One of the most important of these is the fastening of the cooling system, which is located between the refractory bricks and the shell. Circulating water serves as the cooling medium, protecting the furnace from overheating or subsequent burn-out. In addition, numerous sensors, such as temperature sensors, can be attached to the shell in order to monitor the melting process.

Bustle Pipe

The bustle pipe plays a vital role for the smelting in a blast furnace. It is a component of the blow-out system, which consists of an air blower, cold blast main, hot blast stove along with its combustion system, hot blast main, bustle pipe, blow pipes and Tuyeres, set of valves, and control instruments. The main task of the bustle pipe is to deliver hot blast air, which is generated by hot stoves, to the blast furnace through a number of tuyeres. To ensure that the hot air is distributed evenly over all tuyeres, there is a pressure of approx. 3.5 bar in the bustle pipe. Since the temperature can reach more than 1200 °C, an inner lining of the pipe with refractory materials is required. This helps to insulate the heat and protect the outer steel sheets from burning through. The bustle tube is a large diameter tube that surrounds the blast furnace above the mantel level.

Hot stoves

Since hot furnaces supply the blast furnace continuously with the required hot air, they are also considered the driving force of iron production. The better the individual components function and are coordinated with each other, the higher the injection temperatures and the output. In addition, higher temperatures also have a positive effect on costs, since smaller quantities of coke are required. The main components of a hot stoves are the combustion chamber with a metallic or refractory burner, the dome and a chamber with a heat accumulator. These are lined with refractory bricks to store the heat and release it to the air.

Cast house equipment

The working area where molten iron and liquid slag are tapped from the blast furnace is called the cast house. A well-designed casting shop can improve the efficiency of the blast furnace by reducing the loss of molten iron. It also emits less heat and fumes to the surrounding environment, thus increasing worker safety. Their size depends on both the capacity of the blast furnace and the space required for workers and machinery. A cast house is usually equipped with taphole drills, casting machines, casting troughs and their cover.

Areas we handle in Blast Furnace: