Ural Steel prepares to launch a new vacuum degasser

Metalloinvest’s Ural Steel (the Plant) prepares to launch a new vacuum degasser. At present, the main equipment for the vacuum degasser is being delivered for installation in the Plant’s electric arc furnace shop. The commissioning of vacuum degasser will broaden the Plant’s steel product mix and improve its quality and competitiveness.

The contract for equipment supply was awarded to Siemens VAI in June 2010. Metalloinvest plans to launch the vacuum degasser in the first quarter of 2012.

Upon completion of the vacuum degasser construction, Ural Steel’s electric arc furnace shop will process up to 1.2 million tonnes of steel per year for production of strips, heavy plates, tubular billets, structural rolled products, round cast billets, etc. Moreover, the new equipment will allow the Plant to produce strips of X80-X100 strength grade.

Eduard Potapov, CEO of Metalloinvest, commented: "Introduction of the cutting-edge technology has always been one of our priorities. Steel vacuum degassing will enable the Plant to deliver products of the highest quality, which meet the demand of our consumers. In 2012 we plan to complete three big projects at Ural Steel, total capital expenditures amounted to 10 bn rubles".

Vacuum degassing is one of the most effective treatments of molten steel. It significantly reduces dissolved oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen content in metal, as well as non-metallic inclusions.

Ural Steel’s two-stand vacuum degasser will treat steel in 120 tonnes ladles and produce steel containing less than 0.002% of sulphur, 0.00015% of hydrogen, and 0.0035% of nitrogen. The ability to produce steel with such characteristics will significantly increase quality and competitiveness of the steel products. In addition, due to production process optimization after vacuum degasser launch, electricity consumption in the Plant’s section-rolling shop will be reduced.