Business targets
Iron and steel production at NLMK generates up to 6 million tons of slag at Lipetsk site only.
Disposal of all these volumes in a slag dump is not possible. Selling fractional crushed stone (the main product of slag processing) and, especially, crushing fines is a rather difficult task, therefore, priorities are given to sales volumes, not its marginality.
The goal of this project is to increase contribution margin stability of the by-product sales by increasing processing depth of liquid blast-furnace slag through production of mineral insulation materials traditionally obtained from basalt rocks.
Along the way, the project will somewhat reduce the amount of slag that needs to be cooled and the associated environmental costs.
Implementation features
Mineral thermal insulation materials are produced according to the general scheme (similar to the production of cotton candy), but depending on the production parameters (the ratio of the length and thickness of the formed threads, the type of binder used for gluing the threads, the density and finishing of the material ...) it is possible to obtain a wide range of products — from lightweight roll mats and sheets with variable density to sandwich panels made of steel (polymer) sheets with insulation between them and shaped products for insulation/protection of pipelines and equipment.
In the course of the project, it is necessary to determine the range of products, select chemical composition (basalt SiO2/CaO≈1.2) and technological parameters of the scheme.
To resolve these issues, it is planned to work together with a potential equipment manufacturer.
Effect
An analysis of key consumers, their requirements, and an assessment of the potential market size showed that the new technology can down costs company’s total revenue by 0.5% per year (com. to EBITDA2019)
See also
Alternative Coke Material
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