CFLIBS Steel Slag - A competitive edge, as hard as steel
Short Description
To be internationally competitive, attractive framework conditions and continuous improvement of production processes to boost efficiency are vital factors for in novation and manufacturing locations. This applies particularly to steelmaking, as producing premium steel is expensive due to the monitoring required at every stage in the process. As a modern, high-tech material, it is hard to imagine life without steel - be it for vehicle bodies, medical technologies, packaging or the construction industry.
Quality Assurance During Steelmaking Possible
The research program “Production of the Future” offers project partners from Austria and Germany a basis on which they can work together to improve the quality of steelmaking. The chemical composition of the slag, a by-product of steelmaking, is analyzed to determine its constituent elements. The analytical method used, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy - or “LIBS” - is being taken to its next, decisive development phase by the project partners.
The new measuring method is based on monitoring the interaction between the laser and the slags, and the plasmas thus produced. The research project’s innovation value relies on the accuracy of the measurement as a result of improving the physical measuring method and the mathematical and statistical analysis of the complex data and spectra of the investigated slag.
A measurement as precise as this has never before been possible, so that in future the quality of the liquid steel can be assessed even as it is being produced. Consequently, controlling the individual stages in the process will become faster, more accurate, and cheaper. The result is more efficient steelmaking through better quality and lower production costs.
Project Partners
Consortium Manager
Johannes Kepler University Linz - Institute of Applied Physics
Other Consortium Partners
- voestalpine Stahl GmbH, Linz
- Humboldt University Berlin – Institute of Chemistry
Contact Address
Project Coordinator
Johannes Pedarnig
E-mail: johannes.pedarnig@jku.at