The reduction process is one of the pillars of metallurgy, consisting of the transformation of different ores into product or raw materials for more elaborate processes. Among the reduction processes, iron reduction is one of the most important ones and it happens directly or indirectly in several processes, including Blast Furnaces, Midrex® Process, Corex®, among others.

In the ore reduction market, MINITEC provides skills in developing blast furnace designs, feasibility studies and consulting in several reduction processes aiming at performance gains and operating cost reductions.

Proprietary Technology – Mini Blast Furnace

To meet demands from the reduction market, MINITEC presents a proprietary technology: the Mini Blast Furnace, which is used for furnaces with up to 500 m³ of net volume, and which can operate with charcoal or coke as reduction agents.

The Mini Blast Furnace is a competitive and flexible piece of equipment available for pig iron production for both steelworks and foundries, with capacities ranging from 80,000 to 600,000 tons per year. 

The main advantages of the MINITEC Blast Furnace include low specific investment, flexibility in burden preparation and quality, and easy operation and maintenance. Click here for further information. 

Glendon type metallic air pre-heater

The metallic pre-heater, commonly known as glendon, is a heat exchanger which provides heated air to blast furnaces. It is an alternative to the ceramic regenerators (“stoves” – or “cowpers”). The MINITEC glendon operates continuously, with a countercurrent flow. The cold air is transported in coils in a direction contrary to the flow of the combustion fumes.

Pig Iron Pretreatment

The demand for pig iron with very low levels of phosphorus and sulfur is increasing, as the applications of nodular cast iron of high tenacity grow, replacing molten steel. Such a quality requirement demands pig iron with low levels of impurities as a raw material.

In this context, MINITEC also offers solutions aimed at the pretreatment of liquid pig iron, including desilication, dephosphorization and desulfurization.

Carbonization

Brazil stands out in the global steel industry by the use of charcoal in its blast furnaces.

Iron made from charcoal is known as “green pig iron”, as it has considerable carbon credits that are not fully consumed in subsequent steel processes, such as steelmaking and rolling.

The cause of this positive carbon balance in “green pig iron” is in the eucalyptus planted forests, used for the production of charcoal. The extensive area of reforestation required, as well as the period of time for trees to mature, usually around 7 years, provides a significantly greater carbon recovery than the carbon emitted during the production processes of coal, pig iron and steel.

The production of charcoal in industrial processes is still incipient, and artisanal processes are still widely used.

MINITEC is highly qualified to develop solutions tailored to the needs of each client.

Consulting 

With a multidisciplinary team, including reduction specialists, MINITEC provides consulting services in reduction processes, covering feasibility studies, tests on raw materials and various improvement projects.