4. Conclusions. Future prospects

Cast iron pre-treatment techniques (desiliconization, dephosphorization, desulfurization) have gradually become the norm in all steel mills, due to the evolution of the steel market towards ever-lower levels of non-metallic residuals, the need to improve cost prices and, finally, the need to improve the reliability of the metal flow in the mill - the concept of total quality.

To date, no particular technique has emerged as the preferred choice, given the specific objectives of each plant in terms of cast iron pre-treatment. Factors leading to the choice of one or other technique include :

• optimization of blast furnace charging (in particular, fuels with a higher sulfur content, ores with a higher phosphorus content, etc.);

• the trend towards steel grades with lower phosphorus and sulfur...