Thermal characterisation of iron ores and coals for HIsmelt operation. Substantial developments in direct reduction ironmaking (DRI) have been recently conducted providing sustainable way for metallurgical operations. The largest advantage of DRI is that it does not require cokemaking and sintering, two processes which are consistently causing environmental concerns. This project aims to thermally investigate coals and iron ores for optimising direct smelting, and to provide insight into effect ....Thermal characterisation of iron ores and coals for HIsmelt operation. Substantial developments in direct reduction ironmaking (DRI) have been recently conducted providing sustainable way for metallurgical operations. The largest advantage of DRI is that it does not require cokemaking and sintering, two processes which are consistently causing environmental concerns. This project aims to thermally investigate coals and iron ores for optimising direct smelting, and to provide insight into effect of the properties of ores and coals on the process. Structural changes using hot stage optical microscopy will be carefully clarified. Finally, a predictive model for DRI and energy requirements for direct smelting based on the experimental outcomes will be developed.Read moreRead less
Flow field evaluation of AusIron top submerged injection system. The top submerged gas injection system is widely used in the metallurgical industry in many metal refining processes. The AusIron process, which uses dual top submerged lances injection, has been developed recently for direct smelting of iron ore to produce pig iron using low quality coal as fuel and reductant. Successful implementation of the process requires optimum furnace design. This project aims to study fluid flow within the ....Flow field evaluation of AusIron top submerged injection system. The top submerged gas injection system is widely used in the metallurgical industry in many metal refining processes. The AusIron process, which uses dual top submerged lances injection, has been developed recently for direct smelting of iron ore to produce pig iron using low quality coal as fuel and reductant. Successful implementation of the process requires optimum furnace design. This project aims to study fluid flow within the furnace using a laboratory scale model, plant trials and numerical analysis. The project will enhance our fundamental understanding of the top submerged injection processes and assist in optimising AusIron furnace design.Read moreRead less
Multiscale modelling of the transport phenomena of liquid iron and slag in ironmaking blast furnace. Blast furnace ironmaking is a key operation in the steel industry which, with an annual turnover around $11 billion, is a significant manufacturing sector in Australia. This project, focused on the behaviour of liquid iron and slag, can generate computer models that can reliably describe the complicated multiphase flow and thermochemical processes in the furnace. The implementation of the resulta ....Multiscale modelling of the transport phenomena of liquid iron and slag in ironmaking blast furnace. Blast furnace ironmaking is a key operation in the steel industry which, with an annual turnover around $11 billion, is a significant manufacturing sector in Australia. This project, focused on the behaviour of liquid iron and slag, can generate computer models that can reliably describe the complicated multiphase flow and thermochemical processes in the furnace. The implementation of the resultant models and the new understanding should lead to long life campaigns, better operational control, decreased fuel consumption, improved productivity and reduced environmental impact. This, together with the proposed research training, is important to the development of Australia's competitive steel industry.Read moreRead less
Fundamental studies of physical and thermal processes around the taphole of an ironmaking blast furnace. This project will investigate the fundamentals governing the complex physical and thermochemical processes in the hearth of an ironmaking blast furnace by a combined theoretical and experimental program. Its aim is to develop and validate computer models that can describe reliably the gas-liquid-solid flow and heat transfer in the hearth, particularly near the taphole region. The models will ....Fundamental studies of physical and thermal processes around the taphole of an ironmaking blast furnace. This project will investigate the fundamentals governing the complex physical and thermochemical processes in the hearth of an ironmaking blast furnace by a combined theoretical and experimental program. Its aim is to develop and validate computer models that can describe reliably the gas-liquid-solid flow and heat transfer in the hearth, particularly near the taphole region. The models will be very useful to quantify the interrelationships among fluid flow, heat transfer and furnace refractory erosion, and provide a basis for developing better control strategies and extending furnace campaign life, leading to an improved competitiveness of Australia's steel industry.Read moreRead less
Fundamental Investigation of Chemical and Physical Factors Influencing Slag Reactions in Electric Arc Furnace Steelmaking. This project aims to optimise slag design in electric arc furnace steelmaking, leading to decreased consumption of refractory, increased metal yield and efficient energy utilisation. Along with trial runs at Onesteel mini-mill, graphite/slag and refractory/slag interactions will be investigated using in-situ, a high-temperature visualisation-based facility as a function of s ....Fundamental Investigation of Chemical and Physical Factors Influencing Slag Reactions in Electric Arc Furnace Steelmaking. This project aims to optimise slag design in electric arc furnace steelmaking, leading to decreased consumption of refractory, increased metal yield and efficient energy utilisation. Along with trial runs at Onesteel mini-mill, graphite/slag and refractory/slag interactions will be investigated using in-situ, a high-temperature visualisation-based facility as a function of slag composition and temperature. The effect of gas injection on slag foaming and bubble coalescence will be investigated for a range of injection conditions. The outcomes of this project are expected to be substantial to the steel industry in terms of both economic and environmental advantages.Read moreRead less
Recycling waste plastics in aluminium processing: Fundamental investigations of carbon/gas reactions. This project will be a major step towards tackling the global problem of disposing waste plastics in an environmentally sustainable way, and will improve the efficiency of industrial operations, lowering costs and resource consumption. Our advances will deliver the fundamental science that will enable the aluminium industry to consume substantial amounts of plastic waste, including plastics that ....Recycling waste plastics in aluminium processing: Fundamental investigations of carbon/gas reactions. This project will be a major step towards tackling the global problem of disposing waste plastics in an environmentally sustainable way, and will improve the efficiency of industrial operations, lowering costs and resource consumption. Our advances will deliver the fundamental science that will enable the aluminium industry to consume substantial amounts of plastic waste, including plastics that are currently unsuitable for recycling. This technology is likely to make significant contributions towards the development of a sustainable recycling oriented society, to curb global warming, enhancing the international competitiveness of Australian aluminium manufacturing.Read moreRead less
Recycling waste plastics in electric arc furnace steelmaking: Fundamental understanding of plastics/slag interactions and slag foaming. This project will deliver the fundamental science that will enable companies to produce steel using waste plastics. Novel waste recycling process will improve the efficiency of EAF steelmaking, lowering costs and energy consumption, thereby enhancing the international competitiveness of Australian steelmaking industry. At the same time, our advances will allow ....Recycling waste plastics in electric arc furnace steelmaking: Fundamental understanding of plastics/slag interactions and slag foaming. This project will deliver the fundamental science that will enable companies to produce steel using waste plastics. Novel waste recycling process will improve the efficiency of EAF steelmaking, lowering costs and energy consumption, thereby enhancing the international competitiveness of Australian steelmaking industry. At the same time, our advances will allow EAFs to consume substantial amounts of plastic waste, including plastics that are currently unsuitable for recycling. The technology will lower greenhouse gas emissions and will reduce the reliance of EAFs on metallurgical coke. This will have a significant impact on the environment. Read moreRead less
Blast furnace ironmaking: from fundamental simulation to process modelling. This project will investigate the fundamentals governing the complex gas-powder-liquid-solid flow and thermochemical processes in an ironmaking blast furnace by a combined theoretical and experimental program. It focuses on the cohesive zone and raceway phenomena in the furnace and aims to develop, based on the parallel fundamental numerical and experimental studies, a process model that can predict reliably the performa ....Blast furnace ironmaking: from fundamental simulation to process modelling. This project will investigate the fundamentals governing the complex gas-powder-liquid-solid flow and thermochemical processes in an ironmaking blast furnace by a combined theoretical and experimental program. It focuses on the cohesive zone and raceway phenomena in the furnace and aims to develop, based on the parallel fundamental numerical and experimental studies, a process model that can predict reliably the performance of a blast furnace under different conditions. It will provide a basis for developing better control strategies and extending furnace campaign life, leading to an improved competitiveness of the Australia's steel industry.Read moreRead less
Fundamental Investigation of Kinetics of Ferro-Silicon Reactions in Cupola Scrap Melting Processes. The aims of this project include development of fundamental understanding of Ferro-silicon reactions in cupola scrap melting processes. This project will advance the scrap melting processes by enhancing their economic viability and environmental compatibility by optimising the reactions of Ferro-silicon which is one of the major sources of operating problems. Specifically the project will achieve ....Fundamental Investigation of Kinetics of Ferro-Silicon Reactions in Cupola Scrap Melting Processes. The aims of this project include development of fundamental understanding of Ferro-silicon reactions in cupola scrap melting processes. This project will advance the scrap melting processes by enhancing their economic viability and environmental compatibility by optimising the reactions of Ferro-silicon which is one of the major sources of operating problems. Specifically the project will achieve optimisation of Ferro-silicon utilisation, reduction in refractory consumption, minimisation of industrial slag waste generation, improved product composition control. The scientific outcomes include data and mechanisms of Ferro-silicon reactions with gas and graphite phases, kinetic models to describe the influence of Ferro-silicon and process variables.Read moreRead less
Model studies of solid flow and size segregation in ironmaking blast furnace. The proposed project will investigate the fundamentals governing the flow and segregation of particles in relation to permeability distribution, the optimisation of which is critical for stable operations of a modern blast furnace (BF). A mathematical model will be developed to describe bed permeability at a particle-scale level; this model will be validated using detailed analysis of microscopic and macroscopic data f ....Model studies of solid flow and size segregation in ironmaking blast furnace. The proposed project will investigate the fundamentals governing the flow and segregation of particles in relation to permeability distribution, the optimisation of which is critical for stable operations of a modern blast furnace (BF). A mathematical model will be developed to describe bed permeability at a particle-scale level; this model will be validated using detailed analysis of microscopic and macroscopic data from concurrent physical experiments. Outcomes of the project will provide a fundamental basis for upgrading BHP BF process models. Through superior BF control strategies and lower costs, this project will assist in improving the competitiveness of Australia's steel industry.Read moreRead less