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1. ITmk3 Ironmaking Technology

Feature: Tapping the Potential of Underutilized Resources

The earth has a wealth of resources that have yet to be fully utilized. Recognizing this, the Kobe Steel Group has embarked on two projects designed to effectively use these resources, as well as contribute to protecting the global environment. In this feature we introduce the two projects based on cutting-edge technologies, which we are sharing with the world in hopes of contributing to society.

Itmk3 Process

Melting Iron at Surprisingly Low Temperatures

It all began in 1994 with a strange phenomenon discovered in a laboratory. Researchers were conducting evaluative experiments on the FASTMET^® Process, a process developed by Kobe Steel subsidiary Midrex, which uses ordinary coal as the reductant.

In the experiments, various materials were combined with iron ore to make pellets, with the aim of ascertaining appropriate materials and reaction temperatures. As the temperature in the furnace was gradually raised to determine the upper-limit value of the reaction temperature, the pellets melted at a temperature that was far lower than expected. Not only that, but the iron separated cleanly from the slag, producing nuggets that were 96% to 97% pure iron.

Researchers turned their attention to understanding this phenomenon. Pursuing the basic research needed to develop the process, Kobe Steel went on to discovering the underlying principle of the ITmk3 Process.

Advanced Ironmaking Process Reduces the Environmental Burden

Tmk3 stands for Ironmaking Technology Mark Three and is regarded as the third-generation of ironmaking. It is an entirely new method of ironmaking after blast-furnace ironmaking (the first generation) and the MIDREX^® Direct Reduction Process (the second generation). By heating pellets made of pulverized coal and iron ore fines in a rotary hearth furnace, the ore is reduced and its iron content is separated from the slag. The remaining iron solidifies in the form of a nugget. Compared with conventional ironmaking, the highly efficient ITmk3 Process generates lower CO₂, SOx, and NOx emissions. In addition, the resulting iron nuggets, have a purity comparable to that of pig iron.

After determining the principle of the ITmk3 Process, we constructed a pilot plant in Kakogawa Works in 1999, where many verification tests were conducted as we searched for partners to commercialize the process. Ultimately, we entered into a four-party joint development project that included the state government of Minnesota in the United States. In 2001, we shifted development from Japan to the United States.

Cross Section of Time-Sampled Pellet

Joint Project with State Government Revives Local Economy

The state of Minnesota lies in the northern United States, where mining is a basic industry. However, high-quality iron ore production has fallen off, and the industry itself has been in decline. When the state government discovered the existence of the ITmk3 Process, it decided to join the demonstration plant project, which included the second largest U.S. electric steelmaker, Steel Dynamics Inc., and the largest U.S. mining company, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (now called Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.).

Naoya Kobayashi, who was involved at an early stage and is currently General Manager of the International Operations Dept. in the Iron Unit Division at Kobe Steel, explains what makes this project special. "ITmk3 is a completely new technology, so it was difficult to get people to trust it at first. We invited representatives from our three partners, including the Minnesota state government, to come to Kakogawa to watch the pilot plant operate. That's what convinced them.. Once they had seen it for themselves, the Minnesota state legislature decided to provide a portion of the funding to build a demonstration plant."

The demonstration plant project was successful, and the subsequent construction of a commercial facility with Steel Dynamics has progressed smoothly. At one point the supply lines for natural gas used for heating ruptured in the northern cold, but people on the job collected many small heaters and kept on working. As progress was made, the mining town itself began to show signs of revival.

"In the early stages of the project, many of the Minnesotans we met had never seen a Japanese person before," Kobayashi recalls. "When we walked into a restaurant, it would cause a scene. But these days, when a Japanese walks down the street, passers-by will come up to shake his hand. The local community has gradually come to understand that ITmk3 can be a trump card to revitalize the local industry."

Using iron ore fines, the new facility is rebuilding the local community and economy. What has happened in Minnesota can happen anywhere where mining is a major industry. The entire world is watching and waiting to see the first commercial ITmk3 plant begin operation in Minnesota in late 2009.

Workers from the ITmk3 Demonstration Plant in Minnesota

Technology Supports Stable Iron Supply

In addition to reducing the environmental impact and revitalizing local communities, the ITmk3 Process contributes to our global society by helping to ensure a stable supply of iron. Iron nuggets are ideally configured for transport and storage and can supplement pig iron, which tends to be in short supply, thereby helping to stabilize the market. In Europe, where regulations require steelmakers to install blast furnace equipment that is necessary for reducing CO₂ emissions, ITmk3 offers great promise as an alternative iron source.

A small event in a laboratory marked the beginning of a new source of iron that will support society in the future.

The world's first commercial ITmk3 plant under construction

	From the Front Lines

A New Source of Iron for Building the Infrastructure of Newly Industrialized Nations
Naoya Kobayashi, General Manager of the International Operations Dept., Iron Unit Division

Mining and steel companies around the world are currently looking at the ITmk3 Process for their operations. Because it can be used in any region that produces coal and iron ore, we expect it will gradually become a new standard for ironmaking. I'm particularly optimistic about the market in newly industrialized countries, which currently have to import scrap metal and melt it using electric furnaces in order to produce the steel they need to build infrastructure. By supplying these countries with the ITmk3 Process, which is both economical and environmentally friendly, we can make a positive contribution to the framework for the nextgeneration of society.