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Article: Steelmakers' iron resolve: the search is on for economical alternatives to the stalwart blast furnace. (Newsfront).
- Article from:
- Chemical Engineering
- Article date:
- October 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Access Intelligence, LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Behind the international uproar over U.S. tariffs on steel imports, a search mission is underway. Steelmakers are looking for economical alternatives to the traditional blast-furnace process for making pig iron.
With many of the blast furnaces at integrated steelmaking plants due for a major overhaul over the next 10-20 years--and the relining of furnaces costing up to $100 million--financially strapped companies are anxious to switch to iron-production inputs that are less expensive than pig iron made from sintered iron ore and coke. For U.S. steelmakers, another incentive is the Clean Air Act, which will require costly abatement measures for cokemaking and ...