ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMERCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF BLAST FURNACE SINTER MANUFACTURING

Iron oxide sinter is crucial to efficient blast furnace operation. This PhD will study how chemical composition, mineralogical and microstructural variations affect sinter reduction and strength using state-of-the-art furnace simulation and in and ex situ metrology. Process conditions (e.g. gas chemistry, temperature, reactor configuration) will also be investigated to define specific test criteria representative of the Port Talbot blast furnaces. Fossil fuel alternatives will also be investigated as reductants/fuel to investigate the impact on the sinter and on gas emissions.

This project will be based between the new Sintec (Simulation and integrity testing under extreme conditions) facility within the Steels and Metals Institute at Swansea University and Tata Steel Port Talbot. The project will also link with complimentary EPSRC (e.g. SUSTAIN) and doctoral projects also working to optimise future sustainable steel manufacturing.

The project is also commercially important. In house sinter production provides the maximum burden flexibility since sinter can be manufactured to specification. It is therefore essential to optimise the environmental and commercial sustainability of sinter manufacturing