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The Steel Book


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A stronger, lighter and more sustainable world

SSAB's vision


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Contents

The world needs steel 4

How steel is used 5

SSAB in the world of steel 8

HOW WE MAKE STEEL

Ore-based hot metal and steel 10

Scrap-based steel 12

Strip products 14

Heavy plate 16

Rolling Quenching 18

A sustainable world 20

People and steel The future 23

IN MORE DETAIL

Ore-based hot metal and steel 26

Secondary metallurgy and continuous casting 30Strip products 32

Heavy plate 34

Glossary 36

The Steel Book

Production The Steel Book: SSAB Communications, Lena Westerlund.

Reviewed by SSAB Technical Communication Committee

Illustrations: Gunvor Ekstrm Mediagrafik & illustration AB

Design: Ola Hglund, Hglund Design AB

Printing: Henningsons Tryckeri AB, Borlnge 2012

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The world needs steelThe global demand for steel is great. Annuallyabout 1.4 billion tons of steel is produced in the world.

The steel industry is central to our social structure,in particular our infrastructure, but steel alsoimproves the everyday lives of most people.

Steel is one of the materials that most affects society

simply because it is so prevalent in everyday life. It is hard

to imagine a day without the use of steel in some shape or

form. There is a need for steel for all f orms of development

and growth around the world. At the same time, demands

for resource management and sustainable development are

increasing, which benefits SSAB as manufacturers of high-strength steels.

Management of the Earth's resources requires energy-

efficient processes, inc luding making the most efficient and

smart use of steel.

The steel industry is very energy intensive and uses large

amounts of commodity resources, but at the same time steel

can be recycled and used again and again. Steel scrap such

as old cars, industrial machinery or railway equipment is

melted down and turned into new steel and new products.

About a third of the world's steel production is based onscrap recycling.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Steel is the world's most important engineering material due to its

high strength relative to weight and cost effectiveness.

Steel is produced in many forms from thin sheets to thick

load-bearing bridge girders.

Indus trial development requires steel.

Steel is constantly evolving and is a high-tech material.

Steel makes up part of a cycle, and is the world's most

recycled material.

How SSAB's steel is usedSSAB has strong brands for steel plate for differentapplications, which require strength, wear resistanceand formability. SSAB sells not only steel, but also theknowledge and services around the applications of its

steels.

SSAB's steels are used for transporting, lifting or carrying,

and for security applications.

SSAB's high strength steels allow a user to reduce the weight

of a product while increasing its strength and extending the life

of various structures. These are properties that are especially

valuable to manufacturers of construction machinery, mining

equipment, trucks, cranes, and containers.

These tough steels also are used for various safety

applications in the automotive industry. SSAB also produces a variety of lower strength steels,

which are used for various products within the manufac-

turing, construction, and energy (including wind turbines)

industries.

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GARBAGE TRUCKS CARRY LARGER LOADS

A Canadian garbage truck manufacturer has designed a

vehicle which takes advantage of the breadth and possibili-

ties of high strength steels. It is a front-loader garbage truck

which can carry about 700 kg more payload using SSAB's

steels compared to previous models. The new design has

not only become lighter, but also can withstand higher

compression in the hopper. The result is a more efficient

vehicle that requires fewer trips and therefore has a reduced

environmental impact.

DUMP TRUCKS IN MINES

Dump trucks for use in mining are exposed to very high wear

conditions. A South African company uses high strength wear

plate in its redesign of the truck bed to create a lighter and

more durable component. The weight of the truck is

reduced by 19%, nearly eight tons. As a result, operating and

maintenance costs are reduced, as well as the impact on the

environment due to lower emissions.

SPECIALISTS

SSAB focuses on solving difficult problems. The company has

specialists with unique expertise in everything from the steel

properties such as strength, bending, cutting and joining to

fatigue and wear. The close collaboration between SSAB's

application engineers and customers contributes to new

knowledge, new ideas and solutions to problems.

SSAB is at the forefront of design, innovation, technology

and environmental responsibility.

The specialists in technical customer support are involved

in new products and projects at an early stage. Collaboration

with customers is very valuable for both parties.

RIGHT: A front-loading garbage truck with approximately

700 kg higher payload capacity when SSAB's steel is used.

BELOW:Reduced operating and maintenance costs and

environmental impact when SSAB wear plate is used for

dump trucks that are exposed to excessive wear.

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1. For mining and heavy transport,

resistance to wear and extreme dura-bility are important characteristics.

Hardox and Weldox give designers

many possibilities.

2. Prelaq Energy was used for roofs and

walls in the Swedish pavilion at the

World Exhibition in Shanghai in 2010.

The material makes it possible to

reduce the energy consumption in

buildings.

3. SSAB's steel is often used in award-

winning interior design, such as thebookshelf Cell by Peter Cohen.

4. For extreme racing gear Docol is

a super-strong and light material.

5. Armox makes embassy buildings

more secure.

6. Weldox increases the reach of cranes

by utilizing the steel's extreme

strength.

HIGH-STRENGTH STEEL HAS MANY APPLICATIONS

1 2 3

4

5 6

Learn more about SSAB's product brands on page 9.7


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In the world of steel, SSAB is a relatively small player, with a

production capacity of 6 million tons of steel annually. SSAB

has production facilities in Sweden and the U.S.

SSAB steel production takes place in blast furnace pro-

cesses using iron ore and coal, as well as in the steel mills

that use recycled scrap as the raw material. It is customary

to divide steel production into long products, such as pipes

and beams, and flat products, such as heavy plate and strip

products. SSAB produces both plate and strip products.

In Sweden, about 3.5 million tons of steel is produced using

blast furnaces and refining equipment in Oxelsund and

Lule.

In Borlnge, there is a roll mill, which refines the steel into

strip products. Oxelsund has the entire process chain with

hot metal and steel manufacturing, as well as rolling facilities

for refining heavy plate production.

In the United States, SSAB has two steelworks that use

scrap as the basis for the production of heavy plate. SSAB

produces about 2.5 million tons of steel per year in the U.S.A.

SSAB produces high strength steel that has several advan-

tages from a sustainability perspective. The steels are stron-

ger and can be used to build lighter equipment compared to

ordinary steels. This means lower carbon emissions during

equipment use.

There is great demand for SSABs high strength steel

products.

SSAB in the world of steel

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Structural steel for lightweight and durable solutions. Used mainly in

the transportation sector in truck beds, containers a nd chassis.

Wear plate for maximum payload and longer service intervals in

truck beds, containers, buckets, and wear parts in raw material

handling and recycling.

Cold rolled steel for light and safe components. Mainly in crashbeams and seats of vehicles. Suitable for bending and forming.

Structural steel for heavy and demanding applications. Used for

cranes and other structures with requirements for high strength and

good weldability.

Pre-painted sheet steel for environmentally-friendly construction

products. A sustainable solution for roofs, walls, guttering and fittings.

Protective plate used for armored car transports, buildings, mine

sweepers and personal property protection.

Steel for machine components and tools that can withstand extreme

temperatures. Hardened and ready to go into production.

SSAB's product brands

THE COMPANIES PLANNJA AND TIBNOR

ARE INCLUDED IN THE SSAB GROUP

Tibnor

Tibnor is a one-stop source of steel and metals for manufacturing,

processing and construction companies in the Nordic countries and

Baltic States. Tibnor is the leading distributor in the Nordic countries,

and a strategic and long-term partner of the industry. Together with

customers and suppliers the best solutions for materials, logistics and

production are developed.

www.tibnor.se

Plannja

Plannja is one of Europe's leading brands within refined strip

products for construction and sheet metal work, small house

construction and other producers of housing modules. The produc-

tion facilities in Lule, Jrnforsen and Landsbro deliver both product

systems as well as custom-made solutions. This contributes to simple

and economical construction and aesthetically pleasing buildings.

www.plannja.com

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Ore-based hot metal and steelIn Sweden, SSAB produces strip products and heavyplate, while only heavy plate is produced in the UnitedStates. Swedish production is ore-based, and in theUnited States, production is scrap-based.

In Sweden, hot metal is produced from iron ore pellets in

blast furnaces in Lule and Oxelsund. There also is a small

amount of scrap added as the hot iron is refined into crude

steel in LD converters.

High strength steels derive their strength partially by the

addition of alloying elements and partially by the manufac-

turing methods, for example, by quenching in rapid cool-

ing processes in a matter of seconds. Precise precision is a

prerequisite for product .

SSAB's strength lies in the business concept where the

company works with customers to find optimal solutions.

1a.SSAB purchases coal from Australiaand the United States. The coal isshipped by sea to Lule and Oxelsund.

1b.LKAB's iron ore pellets areshipped by rail to Lule and thenonwards by sea to Oxelsund.

2.The coking plant converts coal tocoke and gas by heating in a battery ofsealed furnaces. The gas is convertedto energy. The coke goes to the blastfurnace.

3.The blast furnaceis fed continuouslywith iron ore pellets,coke, limestone and

additives.

4.The hot metal is tappedas soon as the correctlevel in the blast furnaceis reached. The carboncontent is about 4.5%. Theslag is skimmed off into a

slag pot. 5.The hot metal is trans-ported to the steelworksin a cigar-shaped railcarknown as a torpedo car.This can hold approxi-mately 300 tons of liquidhot metal.

6. The hot metal istreated to removesulphur.

HOW WE MAKE STEEL

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7.Hot metal and cooling scrap are chargedinto the LD converter. The operator injectsoxygen at high pressure by means of a lance.The oxygen combines with the coal. The hotiron is considered to have been converted tosteel when the carbon content has dropped toless than 1.7%. Alloying elements are added when the steel istapped from the LD converter into steel ladles.

8. Fine tuning of the steel's chemicalcomposition and temperature is carriedout in the secondary metallurgy pro-cess. The steel also is vacuum treatedto remove hydrogen and nitrogen, ifrequired.

9.In the continuous casting process, thesteel is converted from molten to solidslabs. The temperature of the molten steelat the caster is approximately 1600C.

10.The mould consists of water-cooled copperplates, between which the steel solidifies to forma long strand.

11.The steel strand is cut into slabs. Theslabs are labeled and placed into piles to

cool while awaiting shipment to the roll mills.

LEFT:The metallurgy processes

convert hot metal and scrap into

molten steel. The steel is cast into

a semi-finished slab product.

CENTER:The liquid hot metal is

transported from the blast furnace

to the steelworks in ceramic-linedvessels called torpedo cars.

RIGHT:Heavy ladles with molten

steel in the production process can

be transported by means of radio

control.

See also the in more detail section on page 26.

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Recycling of scrap is a smart way to manufacturesteel. Steel scrap has already been transformed intosteel in its previous life and is an energy-efficientalternative to producing new steel. Moreover, it isgood management of Earth's resources.

Steel scrap is the world's largest recycling system and covers

the entire world in a global cycle. Scrap is always sorted care-

fully because the scrap steel can be alloyed and contain

various additives. The scrap types suitable for the steel

produced is selected.

SSAB has scrap-based steelworks in Montpelier, Iowa and

Mobile, Alabama. Scrap melting occurs in twin-shell electric

arc furnaces. The scrap is first preheated by means of natural

gas.

While the scrap is preheated with natural gas in one shell,

scrap is melted using electric and chemical power in the

other shell. Carbon electrodes immersed in the scrap bath

creates a high current arc. The melted scrap is converted

into new crude steel and is tapped into ladles.

1.Steel is the world's largestrecycling system. Steel usedin everyday life can be melteddown to become new steelproducts.

2.Montpelier and Mobile usetwin-shell, electric-arc furnaces forscrap melting. In one shell, scrap ispreheated using natural gas, while inthe other shell, scrap is melted usingelectric and chemical energy. Then,the molten steel is tapped into ladles.

3.At the ladles metallurgy furnaces,steel chemical composition andtemperature is fine-tuned. Alloyingelements are added, the carboncontent is regulated, and the sulfurlevel is reduced. Some steel typesalso are vacuum treated to removehydrogen and nitrogen.

4.The hot steel is turned into slabsby continuous casting. in an open,water-cooled, copper mould.

5. The slabs are heated ingas-fired reheating furnace to atemperature needed for rolling.

Scrap-based steelHOW WE MAKE STEEL

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6.The steel slabs must be rolled toproduce the required dimensions andproperties. This is done in differentways at different sites.

In the U.S., slabs are rolled onSteckel mills which have down coilersat both ends of the fo ur-high rollingstand.

7. The heavy plate can be heated,quenched (rapidly cooled) andtempered to get the right proper-ties.

8 Plates cool on a bed beforethey are painted, cut to lengthand prepared for delivery.

THE ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE

After all the scrap has been melted,

the slag is poured off and the liquid

crude steel is transferred to a ladle.

Each charge contains 150 tons of

steel in Montpelier and 175 tons of

steel in Mobile.

The electric arc furnace uses a high

current and relatively low voltage,

6001200V, to melt the scrap. The

power input is between 60100 MW.

An arc is created between the

electrodes and the scrap, which is

grounded via the furnace shell. The

arc creates a hot plasma that melts

the scrap (comparable to lightningduring a thunderstorm). The voltage

varies with the distance between the

electrodes and the scrap melting,

and can be regulated.

TAP HOLE

Slag port

LEFT:Steel scrap is recycled in SSAB's facilities in the U.S.

The scrap becomes raw material for heavy plate.

ABOVE:Finished plates at steelworks in the U.S. before being

shipped to customers.

Read about secondary metallurgy and continuous casting on page 30.

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vatten

gldskal

1. The slabs are heated inslab furnaces to the exacttemperature for rolling about 1250C.

3. At the roughing mill, the thickness of thesteel slabs is reduced from 22 cm to 3 cm,and the length increases from 11 meters tonearly 80 meters. This partially-rolled slab iswound into a coil on the coil box.

2. Mill scale is removedfrom the steel surfacein several stages duringhot rolling.

4. In the finishing line, six stands(each with a pair of work rolls) reducethe final thickness in the range of1.8 and 16 mm.

5. The plate is water cooled toabout 600C before winding thelong strip into a coil.

7. The pickle bathremoves the mill scale(oxide layer) formedduring hot rolling.Pickling is carried outin hydrochloric acidsolution and then thestrip is rinsed in severalsteps.

6. Hot rolled stripproducts are soldas coils or cut intoformatted sheets.

Strip productsRolling the sheet into thin dimensions takes placein hot mills, which the sheet passes through severalpairs of rolls in a series one after another, each with adecreasing gap between the work rolls.

Consequently, the sheet becomes thinner as it passes through each

rolling stand. This also increases the overall strip length.

The process begins in the roughing mill followed by a hot strip

mill in which the sheet is still glowing hot.

Some of the hot rolled plate is then cold rolled to become even

thinner and smoother.

DID YOU KNOW?

A slab that is 11 m long, 22 cm thick and 1.5 m wi de can be rolled

down to 0.4 mm and then becomes a 6 km long strip.

HOW WE MAKE STEEL

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8 Hot rolled 6 mmcan be made thinnerand smoother by coldrolling.

9. Strip products canbe rolled as thin as 0.3mm.

10 Cold rolled steel is hard andbrittle. and it must be annealedat 850C in order to becomeformable again.

12. After cooling, there isusually another heating step(200500C) to make thehardened steel more formable.

11. To harden the plateit is quickly cooled.

13. Cold rolled sheet plate issold as coils, or cut intoformatted sheets.

14.Some sheet coils are hot-dip galvanized to pro-vide a corrosion-resistant shield. This involves anotherheating step and immersion in molten zinc followed bycooling.

15. Hot-dip galvanized steel can befurther treated, for example, by paintingbefore delivery to customers.

LEFT: A new water cooling section

was built in Borlnge in 2011

The facility allows for the direct

quenching of thinner plates in

addition to conventional cooling.

RIGHT: The pickled sheet is rolled

in the Cold Roll Mill, this time

without heating. This makes the

plate thinner and harder.


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1. Steel slabs are heated inslab reheating furnaces tothe exact rolling temperature.

2. High pressure water spraysremove scale from the heat slabs.

4. SSAB's four-high rolling millin Oxelsund works with forces of100,000 kN (10,000 tons) and isone of the world's most powerfulrolling mills.

3. The slab is rolled back and forthin the four-high rolling mill until theplate reaches the desired thicknessand width.

SSAB's great success with high strength steelbegan in Oxelsund with a special cooling technology.

A rolling mill is needed in order to produce heavy plate. The

thick, heavy steel slabs must be rolled out to become plates

of the right thickness and width. SSAB's Swedish rolling millfor heavy plate, located in Oxelsund, is one of the strongest

in the world.

Heavy plateHOW WE MAKE STEEL

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5. The hot plates are cut intosheets of manageable lengthsafter rolling.

7. Heating (tempering) of the plate occursat between 200700C. This makes thequenched plate more ductile.

6. Quenching is done by rapid andevenly distributed cooling with water.This gives the plate its high-strengthproperties.

8 The plate is cut to length beforebeing blasted to provide a scale-freesurface. Then the plate is labeled andpainted with anticorrosive paint.

LEFT:Heavy plate is cut into manageable

lengths after rolling.

CENTER: The finished plate is blasted,

painted and labeled.

RIGHT: The granulation facility at the steel-

works in Oxelsund converts hot metal into

iron pellets.


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Rolling Quenching

Steel slabs are large and heavy. They weigh about25 tons each and must become thinner and lighter to

be able to be used. Therefore, slabs are processed inroll mills. Slabs can be rolled into heavy plate, or stripproducts. Plate products are supplied in flat form,while sheets can be supplied as either flat sheets, orin coils.

The steel slabs are heated in furnaces until they become soft

and glowing. The roll mill acts as a giant rolling pin, which rolls

out the steel slab to its final thickness.

After rolling, the plate can be rapidly cooled, quenched and

tempered and further treated.

Some plate products are cut to length and painted beforethey are delivered to SSAB's customers.

SSAB has rolling mills in Oxelsund, Borlnge, Montpelier

and Mobile.

The strength of steel can be measured by a so-called

tensile test, which a piece of steel is pulled with such

force until it breaks into two pieces.

One measure of strength is yield strength, which refers

to the point where the steel loses its ability to regain its

original shape. Draghllfastheten mts i Megapascal,

MPa.

An example of steel with very high yield strength is

Docol 1500M. A 1 dm wide piece of metal which is 0.5

mm thick can resist a pulling force equivalent of six tons

before it deforms permanently.

The yield strength of Docol 1500M is 1,200 MPa. This

means that the sheet metal piece is strong enough to lift

five connected normal size cars under each other.

Another way to measure the strength of steel is the

tensile strength the maximum load of the steel before

breakup.

Toughness and durability are also important

characteristics of steel products.

HOW TO MEASURE THE STRENGTH OF STEEL?

HOW WE MAKE STEEL

SSAB's focus on producing high strength steel started in

Oxelsund in the 1970s. The brand Hardox is steel with

exceptional wear resistance.

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TOP: The hot strip mill in Borlnge manufactures

sheet products. Slabs are reheated to about

1250C prior to rolling.

LEFT: Sheet products can be delivered as coils, or

as cut-to-length flat sheet.

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MANAGING RESOURCES

The world's resources are finite. Therefore it is important to

manage raw materials and use them as efficiently as possible.

The steel industry is central to social structure, and SSAB'shigh strength steel has several advantages from a

sustainability perspective.

Management of the worlds resources requires energy-efficient

processes, and efficient and smart utilization of the finished

steel. The business activity requires environmental efforts that

contribute to a lasting and sustainable development.

A lighter, but stronger design needs a smaller amount of

steel, provides greater capacity, and reduces emissions of

carbon dioxide. This leads to energy conservation, good

management of resources, and a reduced environmental

impact.

SSAB's vision mirrors the direction the company isheading.

SSAB's work method is consistently characterizedby its respect for employees, partners, countries andenvironments in which it operates. SSAB has signed theUN Global Compact. The UN Global Compact is aninitiative to promote corporate responsibility. Itsframe-work comprises ten principles in the areas ofhuman rights, labor rights, environment and corruption.

A stronger, lighter and more sustainable worldSSAB's vision

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All steel can be recycled. Steel is one of the most recycled

materials in the world. Used materials are melted down

and turned into new products again. Scrap is an important

raw material.

SSAB uses scrap as a raw

material in the electric

arc furnaces in the United

States. Scrap is recycled

using natural gas and

electricity.

SSAB recycles steel in both

ore-based and scrap-

based metallurgy.

SSAB uses scrap as a cool-

ant in the LD converters in

Lule and Oxelsund.

THE LIFECYCLE OF STEEL

ORE

SSAB is one of the world's most energy-efficient steel

producers. For example, the pellets provided by LKAB consistof 100% magnetite ore. This represents a major energy

advantage. Magnetite ore requires less energy and gener-

ates only a third as much carbon dioxide compared to pellets

made from hematite ore.

ENERGY-EFFICIENT BLAST FURNACES

SSAB's blast furnaces are some of the most energy-efficient

in the world. The amount of coal and coke used per ton of hot

metal are among the lowest. Efficient processes are crucial

for the energy-efficient use of resources.

Electric power and district heating produced by SSAB's

process gases are examples of the efficient use of natural

resources.

DID YOU KNOW?

SSAB annually awards the international Swedish Steel Prize.

Every year in November, a winner who has made the best use of high strength

steel in a design is selected from dozens of candidates.

ENERGY

The steel industry is one of the world's most energy-intensive

basic industries. Steel production uses mainly electricity andcoal.

The processes generate energy-rich gases from coke

ovens and blast furnaces. Using the gases created from the

processes means that, for example, the need for oil can be

reduced.

Using process gases as a raw material produces electricity

in gas turbines in combined heat and power (CHP) plants. It

covers half of SSAB's electricity needs for the production

facilities in Lule, Oxelsund and Borlnge.

Process gases also contribute to the production of districtheating. The households connected to the district heating

network in Oxelsund, Lule and Borlnge have SSAB as their

district heating provider.

Natural gas is used to preheat the processes of scrap recy-

cling in SSAB's U.S. facilities. Thereafter, the scrap is melted

in electric arc furnaces. Natural gas is also used for the slab

reheating furnaces.

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ABOVE RIGHT: Finely crushed blast furnace slag (Hyttsten)

a bearing surface layer for equestrian sports.

ABOVE LEFT: Hyttsten is an environmentally friendly road

construction material for major and minor roads.

LEFT: Fine-grained materials such as filter dust are mixed

with cement and used in the form of briquettes as a new

raw material in the blast furnace.

BLAST FURNACE SLAG

Blast furnace slag is formed during hot metal production and

is a good raw material for cement-like binders, road materials,and other applications. The uses of blast furnace slag include

road construction. It is sold under the name Hyttsten and has

the advantage of being a lightweight construction material.

Blast furnace slag contains lime and is therefore also used

as a raw material for KRAV certified agricultural lime. Blast

furnace slag is a good example of the resource management

of raw materials in the steel industry.

MEROX

Merox is a subsidiary of SSAB operating primarily at the three

production sites in Sweden. The company specializes in the

handling and sale of by-products formed during steelmaking.

Meroxs responsibilities include bringing ferrous materials

back into SSAB's processes.

Merox produces and sells products covering a wide range

of areas, including construction materials for roads, riding

tracks, raw materials for cement, fertilizer, magnets, and

coloring pigments.

Bringing materials back into the processes and using

by-products as new materials are examples of effective

management of the world's resources.

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People and steel The future

SSABs operations have a high knowledge content, and the

company is dependent on the initiatives and innovation of

all employees to continuously improve and streamline

operations.

SSAB is a knowledge-intensive company with sites onall continents and in over 45 countries. SSABs major

production facilities are in Sweden and the UnitedStates. There are nearly 300 different professions inthe company, and many employees are workinglocally and globally at the same time.

Development opportunities for employees within

SSAB are plentiful. There are close to 300 different

professions within the company.

KNOWLEDGE-INTENSIVE

Producing advanced steel products requires great knowledge

and a thorough understanding of metallurgical processes.

SSAB also conveys knowledge to its customers about how

high strength steel can be used. New applications, designs and

products are constantly developed together with customers.

Hence the need for employees with skills and innovative

ideas across many areas from marketing, research and

development to logistics, production and process development.

The impact on the environment can be reduced by

constantly improving and streamlining the various stages

of steel manufacturing.

Continuous professional development is essential in orderfor employees to meet their different missions and to con-

tribute in the best way possible. Development opportunities

within SSAB's operations are numerous.

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ENVIRONMENT AND SAFETY

SSAB is systematically and persistently working to create a

safe working environment for all employees. The company's

demanding work sites require a high level of safety-focused

thinking from everyone involved.

The goal of SSAB is to be the safest steel company in the

world.

A FUTURE FOR YOU?

Are you a future employee? Do you want to be part of creating

a stronger, lighter and more sustainable world?

To learn more, please visit:www.ssab.com/career

or look us up on Facebook.

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Application and product developer Technician Electrician

Seller Chemist HR partner Crane operator Bricklayer

Controller Development engineer Metallurgist Project leader

Researcher Strategic buyer Product developer Economist

Application Engineer Fireman Planner Mechanic

Continuous caster Constructor Ergonomist Logistician

System developer Customer service engineer Welder

Controls and control engineer Machine operator Truck driver

IT architect Work environment engineer Construction leader

Designer with different orientations

Some of the more than 300 occupations thatare represented at SSAB

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COKING PLANTS

In addition to iron ore pellets, SSAB uses

both pulverized coal and coke for producing

hot metal. SSAB metallurgical processes

have coking plants in Lule and Oxelsund.

Injection coal and coke are the reduction

agents in the blast furnace process.

At the core of the coking plant is the cok-

ing battery which comprises a number of

tall, narrow ovens. Coking is a dry distillation

process, i.e. combustion without access tooxygen. The black coal is charged by coal

machines above the oven battery. The ovens

have brick partitions in which the heating wall

channels are heated by the gas generated in

the coking battery itself, possibly mixed with

blast furnace gas. The coal is heated in the

narrow, airtight ovens until it is in an almost

fluid-flowing, plastic form. The elements that

are to be removed will then be gasified. The

total process takes approximately 18 hours.

The temperature is above 1000C and thecoal is converted to 75% coke and 25% gas.

The coking plant has a series of processes

in which the gas is purified in several steps

and many raw materials are recovered. The

most important is the purified coke oven gas

that provides energy to the coking plant and

other facilities, such as the blast furnace.

Raw materials are also recovered for use

in the chemical process industry, such as

sulphur for agricultural fertilizer use, tar and

asphalt. Other customers to the coking plant

include manufacturers of perfumes and

pharmaceuticals.

BLAST FURNACES A SMELTING REDUCTION PROCESS

One hundred years ago, Sweden had

approximately 120 blast furnaces. Combined,they produced about half a million tons of

hot metal per year. Today, Sweden has three

blast furnaces, all of which are owned by

SSAB. The largest of them is in Lule, and this

alone produces 2.5 million tons of hot metal

per year. There are two smaller blast furnaces

in Oxelsund. SSAB's total hot metal capacity

is just over 4 million tons.

All Swedish hot metal is produced using

pellets from the LKAB ore deposits in northern

Sweden. The LKAB pellets are produced frommagnetite ore and have a high iron content

more than 66%. LKAB utilizes the properties

of the magnetite ore in its pellets, so that a

lower amount of energy is needed for produc-

ing the blast furnace pellets. The high purity of

the LKAB pellets provides SSAB with benefits

in hot metal production.

Ore-basedhot metal and steel

150 C

1 400 - 1 800 CMalmen smlter

2 200 CKoks frbrnns

1 500 CRjrn tappas ut

Purified process gas is

an important energy

source for SSAB's own

processes, for power

generation and district

heating.

The furnace's interior tem-perature reaches approximately

2200C. The melting reduction

process combines the ore's

oxygen with coal.

The hot blast air

meets the ore

and coke in the

blast furnace

belly. The burden

lets the process

gas through, while

the molten iron

drips down.The hot metal is

collected at the

bottom of the

blast furnace, the

hearth.

Tapping goes on for two hours and

then there is a 4050 minutes break

before the next tapping takes place.

The slag is separated from the hot

metal using a skimmer. The iron

temperature is more than 1500C.

Hot blast air is forced with

high pressure through large

nozzles, called tuyeres.

The gas from the

reduction process rises

through the burden.

It consists of carbon

monoxide and carbon

dioxide.

The blast furnace is charged continu-

ously with iron ore pellets, coke and

additives from the top.

INSIDE THE BLAST FURNACE

IN MORE DETAIL

Pulverized coal

is injected at

high pressure

to the blast air.

26


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REDUCING ELEMENTS, ADDITIVES

In order to convert ore pellets into hot metal

in the blast furnace, the oxygen in the ore

must be removed. This is called reduction.

The blast furnace process is a melting

reduction process.

In the iron ore, the iron is bound to oxygen

as magnetite, with the chemical formula

Fe3O

4. Fe is the chemical symbol for iron and

O the chemical symbol for oxygen. Thenumerals specify the number of atoms of

each element. A reducing agent that will

combine with the oxygen at high tempera-

ture must be added. Carbon, with the chemi-

cal symbol C, is used as a reducing agent in

the form of coke and injection coal.

HOT METAL FLOWING AROUND THE CLOCK

The blast furnace is continuously charged

around the clock from the top with iron ore

pellets, coke and additives. The coke supports the large column of

ore and coke inside the blast furnace. The

particle size of the coke allows the molten

hot metal to trickle down and the gas to rise

through the blast furnace. Some of the coke

can be replaced by injecting pulverized coal

to the blast furnace's blast air.

EFFICIENT BLAST FURNACES IN WESTERN EUROPE

The blast furnaces in Sweden recirculate furnace soot in

the form of briquettes in the process a way to recycle

materials so that they are used as efficiently as possible.

Blast furnace 3 at SSAB in Lule is the most energy-

efficient furnace in its category.

Blast furnace 4 in Oxelsund uses injected furnace soot

another way to recycle by-products. Barrel at Blast furnace 3 in Lule.

Hot blast air is supplied at high pressure

though a number of large nozzles under the

broad belly of the blast furnace, where pul-

verized coal is injected at the same time. The

blast air nozzles are known as tuyeres. The

blast air is heated in tall brick towers, cowpers

or heaters using energy recovered from the

blast furnace gas and coke gas.

The reduction process takes place inside

the ceramic-lined blast furnace, where thetemperature is 2200C in the hottest zone.

The iron melts at about 1500C.

When the iron has been reduced and

melted, it trickles down and collects at the

bottom of the blast furnace, which is known

as the hearth. The blast furnace is tapped at

a uniform rate. Tapping takes place during

two hours and is then interrupted for 4050

minutes before the next tapping.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OXYGEN ANDCARBON THAT HAVE BEEN REDUCED?They form two gases, carbon monoxide

and carbon dioxide, CO and CO2, which are

discharged from the blast furnace through

large pipes to a treatment facility.

The carbon monoxide is rich in energy. The

blast furnace gas is recycled as energy for

the processes of the blast furnace itself and

for other energy customers in the steelworks.

It is also used for power generation and

district heating.

SSAB participates in research on how car-

bon monoxide can be recycled and used in

the reducing process. SSAB is also involved

in research projects which aim to halve car-bon emissions of future steel production.

SLAG

When the hot metal is tapped from the blast

furnace, the slag is also discharged. The

slag consists mainly of silicon and lime. The

silicon is a residue from the ore gangue

the rock that surrounds the ore veins. Lime

is added to the blast f urnace process in

order to collect silicon and other undesired

substances to form a slag. The slag floats on

top of the molten hot metal. It is separatedby the runner and then tapped separately.

The slag is recycled once it has cooled and

solidified.

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28/40

The LD process is an oxygen-

related steelmaking method

used to decarburize iron, i.e.

to lower the carbon content

so that the iron is converted

into malleable steel. Hot metal

is converted into steel when

the carbon content has beenlowered to 1.7%.

The LD converter has a

thick lining of a special

ceramic brick. The bricks

and tap hole wear out

and must be replaced

at regular intervals.

The oxygen lance is inserted in

the molten metal and oxygen

is blown at high pressure into

the vessel.

The oxygen reacts with the

carbon to make carbon monox-

ide and carbon dioxide gases.

The oxygen infusion continues

until the predetermined carbon

content has been reached. 1.7%

is the threshold between the

brittle hot metal (pig iron) and

malleable steel.

The tapping temperature is over

1600C.

The purified process gas is

very rich in energy and is used

both in our own processes for

metallurgy and for energy for

consumers. Half of SSAB's

electricity demands are met by

its own process gases, primarily

from the blast furnace but also

from the coking plant and the

LD process.

DESULPHURIZATION OF HOT METAL

The hot metal is transported in liquid form to

the steelworks for refining via ceramic-lined

vessels, called torpedoes. The hot iron is

close to 1500C, and contains about 4.5%

carbon, 0.1% sulphur and 0.5% silicon. In the

first step, the sulphur is removed by refining

by adding magnesium oxide or calcium

carbide to the molten metal. It binds the

sulphur to form a liquid slag which is skimmed

off the top of the hot metal. Transportation

of hot metal and steel at the steelworks is

done by ceramic-lined containers, ladles.

STEEL PRODUCTION USING THE LD PROCESS

The LD process (converter) is a steel-making

method in which hot metal is decarburized

and converted to steel by blowing oxygen

from above into the molten metal with a

water-cooled lance. Hot metal is converted

into steel when the carbon content has been

lowered to 1.7%. The final carbon content can

vary from 1% for very hard carbon steel to

only a few hundredths for steel with ultra-

low carbon content. Such ultra low-carbon

steels are soft and pliable.

Besides hot metal, scrap is also added to

the converter. Scrap is an important raw

material in the LD process and is melted with-

out the addition of any other energy

a highly energy-efficient recycling method.

The scrap is added primarily to cool the

molten metal which sees a sharp rise intemperature when oxygen reacts with, for

THE LD PROCESS

IN MORE DETAIL

Ore-basedhot metal and steel

28


29/40

In Lule, Borlnge and Oxelsund,

house-holds receive district heat-

ing with the help of SSAB. SSAB

gas produces steam that drives

turbines with electric generators.

The hot water is used for district

heating.

The top picture shows one of the

blast furnaces in Oxelsund which,

besides hot metal, also produces

energy-rich gas.

The hot liquid steel is continuously

cast into manageable slabs.

example, carbon and silicon. The carbon reacts

with the oxygen and forms carbon monoxide,

while other elements, such as silicon, form a

slag. Burnt lime is also added to capture silicon

and other unwanted substances in the slag.

When the hot metal is tapped to a ladle, at a

temperature of about 1700C, a variety of

alloying elements also are added.

These will form the basis of the steel analysis

which will be manufactured.

ENERGY-RICH GASES

The purified process gas is very rich in energy

and is used in our own processes for

metallurgy and as energy for consumers. For

example, half of SSAB's electricity needs in

Lule, Borlnge and Oxelsund is produced

using our own process gases, mainly from the

blast furnace but also from the coking plantand the LD process.

29


30/40

Various alloying elements

such as niobium, manga-

nese, titanium, boron and

aluminum are added at

the secondary metallurgy

process.

SSAB has several different pro-

cesses for secondary metallurgy.

This fine-tunes the steel's analysis

and temperature.

The recipe book contains

500 different types of steel.

Accuracy is measured in

hundredths of a percent.

Some steel types can also be

vacuum treated to remove

hydrogen and nitrogen.

Gas can be added in the

secondary metallurgy

both via lance and

bottom flushing.

Liquid steel is tapped from the bottom

of the ladle to an intermediate vessel,

called a tundish. The temperature is now

below 1600C.

The mould is an open mould with four

water-cooled plates that the hot steel

glides between. A hardened shell is

formed when casting. The casting

temperature is now around 1540C.

Cooling continues by quench-

ing with water sprayed

throughout the strand.

The steel is still glowing hot, but has

solidified throughout when it is cut into

slabs by oxygen lances. The tempera-ture is 1000C. Each slab is labeled

before being placed on a cooling bed.

SECONDARY METALLURGY

Whether the hot metal is produced by

ore-based or scrap-based raw materials,

the operators fine-tune the temperature,

and the amounts of various alloying

elements. Analytical limits are very tight

and tolerances are small. Each type of

steel has a unique recipe that must be fol-

lowed exactly. The operators use

computers and analytics with rapid

laboratory evaluations to ensure that the

steel contains the correct amount of the

right ingredients and that the steel is at

the right temperature.

The requirements and degree of accuracy

are identical across all SSAB steelworks,

although the processes may differ.

The steel can also be subjected to

vacuum treatment for extremely high

purity, such as hydrogen and nitrogen

removal.

STEEL WITH PRECISION

Accuracy is an important factor in the vari-

ous manufacturing steps for SSAB's steel

types. Hard or soft steel? This is determined

in secondary metallurgy. The recipe follows

every ladle right from the steelwork's first

processing step at the desulphurization

station through to the LD converters,

vacuum treatment, and finally continuous

casting.

SSAB utilizes various carbon contents and

alloys to achieve the desired strength and

ductility. SSAB high strength steels belong to

the family of low-alloy steel grades.

Secondary metallurgy and continuous casting

All raw steel is converted into slabs by continuous casting.SSAB produces about 500 different grades, each with its

own special "recipe". Steel grades and quality demands areconstantly evolving.

IN MORE DETAIL

30


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CONTINUOUS CASTING

Continuous casting is a process to convert

the 1600C hot liquid steel into manage-

able slabs. The ladle carrying the liquid steel

is placed in a holder. From here, the steel is

tapped through a casting pipe to a tundish.

The tundish is an intermediate vessel used

during casting to allow the changeover fromone ladle to another without any interruption

in the process.

Continuous casting is done using a water-

cooled mould, which is open both at the top

and bottom.

A casting powder is used, so that the steel

slides smoothly through the mould. Power-

ful water-cooling of the mould's casting

plates immediately gives the hot liquid melt

a shell of hardened steel. The cooled steel

shrinks in volume as it is withdrawn from the

underside of the mould in a long strand. Thestrand is continuously cooled on its arc-

shaped path down to the cutting station. At

this stage, the steel is still hot and glowing, but

is sufficiently solid to enable the strand to be

cut with movable oxygen torches into pieces

up to 11 m long.

SLABS

Slabs can vary in length, width and thickness

depending on in which of SSAB's plants the

slabs are produced. A common slab weighs25 tons. The steel from one ladle is enough

for a handful of slabs, and is the smallest

quantity of the same grade of steel that

SSAB can produce.

The steel in the Eiffel Tower in Paris weighs 7300 tons. At

full operation, the steel commuter train between Lule and

Borlnge carries 7000 tons per day on four trains. Every day,

shipments equate to almost the weight of the Eiffel Tower.

The cast iron manufactured in 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was

erected, had a tensile strength of 200 MPa (megapascals).Today, SSAB's high strength steel with a tensile strength of

1400 MPa could be used for a new Eiffel Tower. It would reduce

the weight by 40%.from 7300 tons to 3000 tons

A COMPARISON

Swedish operations cast thicker slabs com-

pared to the works in the United States which

cast thinner and wider slabs.

Each slab receives an "ID number" and is a

carefully recorded entity intended for a specific

end-product. Samples of the steel are taken

throughout the production chain and ulti-

mately also from the finished slab. All slabs are

inspected and some further treatment may berequired, such as grinding.

The slabs are cooled in different ways. Some

sensitive steel slabs require slow cooling at

a steady pace and are allowed to cool under

special hoods.

The metallurgy process takes 12 hours from

iron and steel production through to it becom-

ing a steel slab, ready for rolling into sheets.

THE STEEL COMMUTER TRAIN

The steel commuter train is a train system inSweden between Lule, Borlnge, and Oxel-

sund. Slabs are transported from Oxelsund

and Lule to Borlnge for rolling. Borlnge then

sends the finished strip product coils to Oxel-

sund where they are shipped worldwide from the

Steel Harbor in Oxelsund.

A RECIPESSAB produces the high strength steel Docol which is used,

for example, for side impact protection in car doors to

protect in a collision.

To arrive at that particular steel grade, carbon, manga-

nese, silicon and other alloying elements are used.

After rolling, the sheet is still 600C when it is rolled up

on coils. At this point, the sheet is 4 mm thick.

The cold rollup mill reduces the sheet thickness to 1.5

mm, a standard thickness for safety features in cars.

After cold rolling, the material is hard and brittle. That is

why the sheet is heat-treated, which makes it moldable. To

gain the highest strength, the plate can also be annealed

and then cooled rapidly.

This is an example of how SSAB produces steel grades

according to customer requirements.


32/40

HOT ROLLING

The slabs are heated to approximately

1250C in two furnaces at the works inBorlnge, using oil or gas as an energy

source. The slabs are then rolled initially in

the roughing mill. The thickness is reduced

to 3 cm after five passes back and forth

in the roughing mill. The glowing hot slab

has then grown in length from a slab measur-

ing 11 m to an intermediate slab measuring

80 m. It is then wound up as a coil in the

so-called coilbox and transferred to the

finishing strip mill. The plate is then further

rolled down to a thickness of between 1.816

mm in a continuous manner through six

different mill stands.

At the end of the hot strip mill, the

steel reaches a speed of 120 km per hour.

The decrease in thickness means the sheet

must expand in a longitudinal direction. The

speed increases with each mill stand, and is

fastest at the end. At a final thickness of

2 mm, the sheet strip has grown to a length

of 1300 m.

QUENCHINGAfter the final rolling stand, the sheet is

cooled. For some grades of steel the cool-

ing process is very rapid. Other steel grades

require slower cooling. In the quenching line,

the strip is rapidly cooled at about 100C per

second. This gives the sheet its hardness and

strength. SSAB can roll the world's toughest

hot rolled strip in Borlnge.

After cooling, the sheet undergoes a descaling

treatment in one of two so-called pickling

lines. During rolling, mill scale (iron oxide) isformed on the plate through its contact with

air. In the acid pickling baths, the mill scale is

removed from the sheet surface.

COLD ROLLING AND ANNEALING

When the customer requires thinner plate

than that obtained by hot rolling, the sheet

must be cold rolled. Cold rolling gives a more

precise thickness and a smoother surface.

In the cold roll mill, the sheet is cold rolled

in a rolling mill with five consecutive pairs of

rolls. Each rolling stand has two working roll-

ers and two backup rollers. In order to make

the plate thinner, high roll forces, as well as

sheet tension are required between each pair

of rolls. Everything happens automatically at

high speed with the help of computers.

Cold rolling makes the plate brittle and

hard in the first stage. This is because the

grains in the structure of the steel have

become elongated and deformed.

Cold rolled sheet must therefore be

annealed. Heating to a sufficiently hightemperature causes new grains to grow at

the expense of the deformed grains, and

restores the formability of the sheet.

A coil of hot rolled sheet can weigh 24 tons.

Strip products

IN MORE DETAIL

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ANNEALING AND QUENCHING

SSAB's specialty is extremely high strengthsteels. To obtain a higher strength, the sheet

must be quenched. This is done by annealing

and rapid cooling. The extreme rapid cooling

affects the fine structure of the steel grains

The rapid cooling locks to carbon atoms in

place, and causes the increase in strength.

The thickness of cold rolled plate can vary

from 0.3 to 3 mm. A cold rolled sheet that is

0.6 mm thick, becomes a coil of 4 km sheet.

COATINGCold rolled sheet can be further processed

by coating. Hot-dip galvanizing provides

good corrosion protection. In hot-dip

galvanizing, the strip is first annealed and then

cooled to 470C before passing through a

molten zinc bath. After the final cooling, the

sheet passes through trimming and leveling

rolls to provide it with the final properties.

The sheet also can be painted and is then

coated with several layers of paint in a con-tinuous process. The paint is applied on the

moving strip by rubber rolls, and then passes

through drying furnaces before being coiled

up again. SSAB has painting lines for strip

metal in Borlnge and Finspng.

CUTTING TO LENGTH

Strip products can be delivered as either coils

or as flat, cut-to-length sheet. Plate rolls are

called coils. A large proportion of the produc-

tion tonnage is cut-to-length to suit thecustomers' exact needs. This process is

carried out in shearing lines using forces

sufficiently high to cut even the strongest

steels. To divide the wide coils into narrower

strips, the material runs through a slitting line.

The rolled strip products in Borlnge are wound up as coils before continuing.

THE STRUCTURE OF STEEL

The steel's grain structure is affected by rolling.

1. In hot rolling, the steel regains its grain

structure after rolling.

2. Cold rolling produces stretched and deformed

grains. This makes the plate hard and brittle.

3. Heat treatment creates new tension-free

grains, and the plate becomes formable again.

A very strong grain structure is created by sub-

sequent quenching and rapid cooling. Tempering

(reheating) increases the steel's ductility in one

last step.

1.

2. 3.

ABOVE, LEFT:Cut-to-length sheet.

ABOVE, RIGHT:A thin layer of zinc gives

the sheet good rust protection.

RIGHT:Galvanized sheet can be

painted in a wide range of colors. The

paint is applied with rubber rollers and

quickly dried in curing furnaces.

33


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Oxelsund has one of the strongest reversing

four-high mills in the world. The separating

force is 100,000 kN (10,000 tons). Here, 29

cm thick slabs are rolled to plate with thick-

nesses ranging all the way from 150 mm to 4

mm. The plates can be up to 40 m long.

Four-high rolling means that four heavy

rolls, two work rolls and two backup rolls,

deform the plate with tremendous forces in a

number of passes back and forth through the

rollup stand.

HEAVY PLATE ON A COIL

In the United States, Steckel rolling mills

are used to manufacture heavy plate. The

Steckel mills are similar to four-high revers-

ing plate mills and also uses a four-high mill

stand with work rolls and backup rolls through

the rolling stand. However, Steckel mills alsohave heated coil boxes on each side of the

rolling standm where the plate can be held

between rolling passes (to minimize

temperature loss). During the later rolling

passes, the plate is run from one downcoiler

to the other downcoiler back and forth in

a number of rolling passes until the plate

reaches the final thickness. Plates up to 3 m

wide can be rolled in Mobile and Montpelier,

and they can be delivered as either flat plate

or as large coils.

RAPID COOLING GIVES EXTREMESTRENGTH

High strength steels are finished in SSAB's

quenching lines. Quenching takes place

through rapid cooling. The rapid cooling is

done using water under very high pressure.

SSAB was one of the pioneers in the

development of high strength steels.

SSAB is increasing its quenching capacity

in both Sweden and the United States. An

increasing volume of high strength steels are

being produced.

The slabs for making heavy plates are 1529 cm thick. Theslabs are cut to the right length before being rolled.

Heavy plate

The four-high mill in Oxelsund is one of the

strongest rolling mills in the world. The sepa-

rating force is 100,000 kN (10,000 tons).

IN MORE DETAIL

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TEMPERING

Steel can take on different atomic structures, phases,

which differ partly by the degree of hardness and/or

ductility. By quenching, heating and rapid cooling, the

steel transforms into the martensite phase, which is

very hard. Thereafter, the steel can be heat-treated

to improve formability and reduce the risk of cracking.

The tempering of hardened steel is a process

used to increase the steel's ductility and reduce its

hardness. To achieve this, the steel is reheated to

200700C. In this way, the ductility of most steel

types increases.

ABOVE LEFT: SSAB steel is manufactured with a

view to achieving different properties, such as

Weldox for high strength and weldability.

ABOVE, RIGHT: Monitoring the process from the

control room.

RIGHT: In Oxelsund, heavy plate is manufactured

with a variety of properties including hardness,

ductility and wear resistance. The steel's special

properties are created with SSAB's different

processes with alloying elements, heat treatment,

quenching and rapid cooling.35


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AAbrasion resistance Ability to withstandabrasive wear; wear resistance

Alloy Blending, mixing

Alloying elements Substances that bind withiron or other metals, and alter the metal's

propertiesAnnealing Heat treatment, heating to above680 degrees [Celsius], usually to make steel softer

Application Final customer/end- product forwhich a certain grade of steel is used

Application engineers Specialists in theproperties and workshop performance of the

mate-rials, with a focus on developing new

applications

BBasic industries Industries for extracting andprocessing raw materials

Blast air Heated air that is blown into the blastfurnace at high pressure

Blasting Sand or small steel balls are blasted,often with water, at high pressure against a sur-

face to clean it, for example, before painting

Burden The contents of a blast furnace and thesupply of raw materials such as ore pellets, lime,

coke and coal

Bustle pipe Pipe around the blast furnacethrough which blast air is supplied and distributed

CCarbon dioxide, CO

2 Colorless gas, soluble in

water to produce carbonic acid, what gives soft

drinks their fizz, and by making up 0.03% of the

atmosphere is one of the so-called greenhouse

gases

Carbon monoxide, CO Colorless and odor-less energy-rich gas that burns with a blue flame,

poisonous. When burnt, carbon dioxide is formed

Coiling, coiler Machine part that receives sheetor plate from the rolling mill and winds it into a coil

Coilbox Rolling machinery for intermediatestorage of partially-rolled plate between passes

Coils Large rolls of rolled sheet

Coke Dry-distilled coal converted into a metallic

hard and porous form by heating in sealed ovensCold rolling Technique in which hot rolled plateis rolled out to thinner dimensions without prior

heating

Cowpers Heaters, ceramic towers used forheating the blast air

Continuous casting Method of casting steelin continuous long strands, which are then cut up

into slabs

Crude steel Iron that has been decarburized toremove part of the carbon in the molten metal but

that has not yet been refined into a definite steel

grade

Cutting station Station in which the steelstrand is cut into slabs

DDecarburizing Steelworks process where hotmetal is converted into crude steel by reducing

the carbon content

Desulphurization Method used for removingsulphur from the hot metal or steel, e.g. by the

addition of carbide or magnesium oxide

District heating Heating systems for cities andcommunities through a central energy producer

and pipes carrying hot water to consumers. It

can use different energy sources, such as SSAB's

process gases

District heating power plant Combined heatand power (CHP) plant power plant that gener-

ates both electric power and steam for district

heating. Uses steam turbines that drive electric

generators. Used steam then produces hot water

Dry distillation process Combustion in theabsence of oxygen

Dual phase steel High strength steel that has asoft (ferrite) and a hard (martensite) microstruc-

ture, resulting in a desired combination of good

ductility with high strength

Dust filter Cleaning facility for gas or air inwhich the dust is separated and collected forrecycling

EElectric arc furnace Technique using highvoltage between electrodes to create an arc that

melts scrap

Electrical arc furnance process Electricalmethod to melt iron and steel

FFatigue Deterioration of a material's strengthcaused by frequent changes in the mechanical

state of stress

Four-high reversing rolling mill A roll mill withtwo work rollers and two backup rolls that exert

very high forces to reduce the thickness of slabs

to plate in a number of passes

GGranulation Liquid slag or steel is rapidlycooled in water in such a way that it turns into finegrains similar to coarse sand, i.e. granules

HHearth The blast furnace bottom where moltenhot metal is collected

Heat Refers to a batch of a given recipe fromthe steel shop

Heavy plate Plate with dimensions of and above3 mm rolled in reversing plate or Steckel mills

Hematite Fe2O

3, non-magnetic iron ore

High strength steel Steels which have beendeveloped a higher strength by micro-alloying,

heat treatment or so-called thermo-mechanical

treatmentHot-dip galvanizing Method of applying ananti-corrosive coat of molten zinc and aluminum

to the surface of sheet steel

Hot metal Iron with a carbon content above 1.7%

Hot rolling Technique in which slabs are heatedin furnaces to high temperatures prior to rolling to

reduce the slabs thickness

Hot sheet mill Hot strip mill for wide, rolledstrips wound into coils

IImpact guards Energy-absorbing vehiclefeature for protection in the event of a collision.

Injection coal Finely ground coal which isinjected into the blast furnace at high pressure

without first being converted to coke

Iron ore pellet Balls of purified compressed ironore powder

LLadle Containers for transporting or treatinghot, liquid metal

Ladle change Changeover from an empty ladleto a ladle full of molten steel (at the caster)

LD converter Steel process named after LinzDonawitz that consists of a vessel and lance for

treatment with oxygen. Converts hot iron metal

into crude steel by decarburizing

Low alloy steels Steel whose properties havebeen changed with low amounts of alloying elements

as opposed to high-alloy steel, often stainless

Dictionary, steel language

36


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MMagnetite Fe

3O

4, magnetic iron ore

Melting reduction process Process used formelting and removing unwanted elements from

metal raw materials

Metallurgy The science of the production of

metal and its properties

Mill scale Residual scale (iron oxide) on thesurface of the plate during and after hot rolling

Mill stand A set of two or more cylindrical rollersin a machine

Mould Casting mould

OOre wagon Railway car for transport of chunkore, iron ore or pellets

Oxygen lance Tubular lance for injection of

oxygen into a liquid steel bath

PPair of rolls A pair of cylindrical rolls used toreduce the plates thickness using high pressure

Payload The useful load a vehicle can carry. Ifthe truck's own weight is reduced, the load can be

increased by an equivalent amount

Phases Steels have different crystal struc-tures at different temperatures and a number of

different phases depending on heat treatment,

alloy variety, quenching, cooling, etc. Best knownare martensite (quenched), ferrite (pure iron) and

austenite (non-magnetic)

Pickling line Process line that uses dilute acidfor descaling hot rolled sheet

Post-treatment Heat treatment, cooling, etc.to give the steel certain properties; also

galvanizing, painting and cutting to length

Process gas Gas from metallurgical processes,often rich in energy

Process/methods Way to extract rawmaterials and manufacture products in a

continuous process without interruption

Process water Water from cooling or treat-ment in various SSAB processes. Always treated

and can often be recirculated

QQuenching Rapid cooling to make the steelharder

RRecycling Restoring used products orby-products to a new cycle of production

and use

Reducing agents Substances that can unite

with an undesirable substance in a process, suchas carbon which can remove oxygen from iron ore

Roll pass The steel's passage one time throughrolling stand reduces the thickness

Rolling mill Machinery using cylindrical rollersto roll out steel to thinner dimensions

Roughing mill Two cylindrical rough rollers whichreduce the slab to a thinner dimension prior to

finish rolling

Runner (for tapping the molten steel) Runnerwith a ceramic lining for controlling the hot metal

SScrap Used materials that can be crushed andrecycled, such as steel scrap

Secondary metallurgy Technique for the fineadjustment of alloying elements, purity and

temperature of the steel

Slab furnace Furnace used for heating steelslabs to rolling temperature

Slabs Steel slabs

Slag By-products of slabs separated inmetallurgical processes, includes lime and silicon

from coal and coke ash

Steckel roll mill Four-high rolling mill withSteckel coiling furnaces at each side of the rolling

stand. The plate is recoiled after each rolling pass

in there coilboxes

Steel Alloy of iron and carbon with a carboncontent below 1.7%

Steel commuter train Train system for thetransportation of slabs between Lule, Borlnge

and Oxelsund

Steel slab Semi-finished product used forproducing steel plate or sheet

Strand Strand of cast steel

Strength The material's ability to resist, forexample, tensile stress without deforming (yield

strength) or rupture (tensile strength) or cyclic

loading leading to fatigue failure

Strip products Thin sheet with a maximumthickness of 16 mm. Can be cold rolled down to

0.20.3 mm

Submerged entry nozzle Ceramic tube thatprotects the steel against contact with air during

casting

Surface treatment, surface coating Cleaning,grinding or coating of surfaces, e.g. by galvanizing

and/or painting

T

Tempering Heating to 200700C with theaim of making hardened steel tougher and lesssusceptible to cracking

Tensile strength Maximum strength that can beapplied without breaking

Torpedo car, torpedo Cylindrical railcar linedwith bricks and used for transporting the hot metal

from the blast furnace to steel shop

Tundish Intermediate containment vessel usedduring casting to be able to pass the liquid steelbetween the ladle and casting mold

VVacuum cleaning Method to vacuum clean thesteel from hydrogen and nitrogen

YYield strength The maximum stress that thesteel can withstand without sustaining permanent

deformation. At stresses below the yield strengththe material deforms only elastically like a rubber

band

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Lule

Oxelsund

Borlnge

SSAB AMERICAS

SSAB EMEA

SSAB APAC

Sales office

Steelwork

Rolling mill

Distribution center

Annual turnover SEK 45 billion Crude steel volume 5.7 million tons of crude steel Niche products 1.7 million tons Number of employees 9000

LARGE PRODUCTION SITES

Sweden Lule, Borlnge, Oxelsund, Finspng United States Montpelier (Iowa), Mobile (Alabama)

China Kunshan Exporting countries More than 100 countries

Figures from 2011. For more information, visit www.ssab.com

SSAB is a certified company within quality, environment and occupationalenvironment, and fulfils the requirements of the following standards:

Lule: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 and AFS 2001:1

Borlnge, Finspng: ISO 9001, ISO/TS 16949 and ISO 14001

Oxelsund: ISO 9001 and ISO 14001

Mobile: ISO 14001, ISO 9001 and OHSAS 18001

Montpelier: ISO 14001, ISO 9001, and OHSAS 18001

BUSINESS AREAS

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SSAB is a leading global provider of high strength steel. SSAB offers products

developed in close cooperation with customers to create a stronger, lighter and

more sustainable world.

SSAB has employees in over 45 countries, and production facilities in Sweden and

the United States. SSAB is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Nordic Exchange, Stockholm.

www.ssab.com

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