8. Secondary metallurgy

The quest for ever-better steel quality has led to the oxygen converter's role being restricted to refining, and the arc furnace's to melting. Precise composition and temperature settings were transferred to secondary metallurgy installations, such as :

• ladle injection, e.g. of silico-calcium for steel desulfurization;

• ladle to ladle (case of steel recarburization) ;

• the pocket warming stand ;

• vacuum-pack maturing oven ;

• the AOD (Argon Oxygen Decarburization) converter for stainless steel production.

In terms of their technology, such plants are quite similar to those already described for the pre-treatment of ladle cast iron, or for steelworks converters and electric furnaces....