Search results

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.9172 — Liberty House Group/ArcelorMittal Divestment Businesses) (Text with EEA relevance.)

  • Published: 2019-04-17
  • Corporate Author(s): Directorate-General for Competition (European Commission) ; European Commission
  • Subject: economic concentration, iron and steel industry, merger control, metal waste, metallurgical industry, primary product, waste recycling
• Case T-93/17: Judgment of the General Court of 18 September 2018 — Duferco Long Products v Commission (State aid — Steel sector — Aid granted by Belgium in favour of a number of undertakings in the steel sector — Decision declaring the aid incompatible with the internal market and ordering its recovery — Duty to state reasons — Notion of State aid — Advantage — Private investor test)

  • Published: 2018-09-18
  • Corporate Author(s): General Court (Court of Justice of the European Union)
  • Subject: Belgium, control of State aid, iron and steel industry, loan, reimbursement of aid, shareholding, State aid, subsidiary, Walloon region (Belgium)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.8762 — ArcelorMittal/CLN/CSM) (Text with EEA relevance. )

  • Published: 2018-03-16
  • Corporate Author(s): European Commission
  • Subject: distributor, economic concentration, iron and steel industry, merger control, vehicle parts
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.8859 — Viohalco/Koramic/JV) (Text with EEA relevance. )

  • Published: 2018-05-04
  • Corporate Author(s): European Commission
  • Subject: building industry, economic concentration, investment company, iron and steel industry, merger control, metallurgical industry, real property
• 

  European steel
  The wind of change : energy in future steelmaking, steel in the energy market applications, greening European steel

  Steel is strategic for the future of European industry. And industry has always been a cornerstone of economic prosperity in Europe as reminded in the 2017 Commission 'Industrial Policy Strategy'. Efforts are needed to maintain and reinforce industrial leadership in the age of globalisation, sus...

  Steel is strategic for the future of European industry. And industry has always been a cornerstone of economic prosperity in Europe as reminded in the 2017 Commission 'Industrial Policy Strategy'. Efforts are needed to maintain and reinforce industrial leadership in the age of globalisation, sustainability challenges and rapid technological change.

  • Published: 2018-03-12
  • Corporate Author(s): Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission)
  • Personal Author(s): Rossetti di Valdalbero, Domenico ; Lucas, Nigel
  • Subject: economic growth, energy policy, environmental impact, iron and steel industry, renewable energy, research report, safety standard, technological change
• 

  Stirring plug monitoring system for improvement of plug availability and stirring performance (PLUGWATCH)
  Final report

  The aim of this research project was the development and installation of online monitoring systems for stirring plugs in steel ladles in order to determine and predict their availability and performance for stirring processes. Temperature measurement techniques were developed and adapted to the ...

  The aim of this research project was the development and installation of online monitoring systems for stirring plugs in steel ladles in order to determine and predict their availability and performance for stirring processes. Temperature measurement techniques were developed and adapted to the severe conditions in steel plants, especially regarding VOD treatments. Discontinuous measurement of stirring plug temperature was realized and performed for numerous heats using thermocouples and data loggers. Wireless data transmission was not possible due to high temperatures above 350 to 400 °C and low signals. Numerical simulations of temperature distribution in stirring plugs by Finite Elements Method were performed, validated with measured data and used to calculate the effect of reduced flow rates and wear conditions. That information was used to setup models and software for determination of plug performance. The investigations on material properties and simulation of thermo physical chemical evolution in use revealed that the material thermal properties is the key factor to work with the aim to target the improvement of plug performances in terms of wear rate. Software tools were developed for the management of process data and the new temperature information in the stirring plug. Process data, mainly stirring gas flow rate and pressure, form the basis for determination of stirring plug availability and performance. The information and data gained during the project is actually used in the steelworks to further optimize plug operation, although some tasks were very challenging and continuous online application of the monitoring systems during production in the steelworks was not yet possible.

  • Published: 2018-02-22
  • Corporate Author(s): Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission)
  • Personal Author(s): De Paolis, G ; Tonelli, M ; Palm, B ; Proietti Cerquoni, M ; Coppola, Tommaso ; Arteaga, Asier ; Wittkop, C ; Schöttler, L ; Martini, U
  • Subject: computer applications, industrial data processing, industrial research, information system, iron and steel industry, materials technology, metalwork, metalworking, research project, research report, steel
• 

  Application of innovative fibre optical thermal monitoring at CC-billet mould for improved control of product (FOMTM)
  

  The aim of this pilot research was to develop and operate a better control of initial solidification at meniscus level to enhance surface quality of as-cast products. Innovative fibre optical temperature measuring technique was applied into a 185 mm × 185 mm billet mould of a six strand caster. ...

  The aim of this pilot research was to develop and operate a better control of initial solidification at meniscus level to enhance surface quality of as-cast products. Innovative fibre optical temperature measuring technique was applied into a 185 mm × 185 mm billet mould of a six strand caster. Forty temperature measurement positions were spread onto four faces of the mould. Two moulds were equipped and about 340 heats are measured. No significant indications of wear caused on the harsh environment at the caster could be observed, neither after the revamping procedure. To operate the FOTS measuring system online analysing software was developed. This provides visual information on the behaviour in the mould, especially the current thermal profile and alarm value for unwanted occurrences. The stored data could also be classified later. A collection of data regarding as-cast billet surface quality was done. Analysis of the cast samples and relation to FOTS data are showing the dependence of temperature behaviour and longitudinal crack formation and further surface defects. The installed alarm value has been demonstrated to be useful to identify and control separately billets that could suffer from quality problems due to excessive mould powder additions. The usefulness of this technology could be demonstrated for comparisons of both mould powders and strategies of addition. After alignment with real measurement data the offline working heat transfer model indicates a good accordance within the meniscus region. This technology is also transferable to other casters or place where conclusions can be obtained from temperatures measurements.

  • Published: 2017-06-06
  • Corporate Author(s): Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission)
  • Personal Author(s): Pereda Baranda, X ; Lamp, T ; Rodríguez Durán, T ; Feldmeyer, B
  • Subject: industrial manufacturing, iron and steel industry, iron and steel product, materials technology, research report, steel
• Case T-100/17: Action brought on 14 February 2017 — BTB Holding Investments and Duferco Participations Holding v Commission

  • Published: 2017-02-14
  • Corporate Author(s): General Court (Court of Justice of the European Union)
  • Subject: Belgium, control of State aid, holding company, iron and steel industry, loan, reimbursement of aid, right to justice, shareholding, State aid, Walloon region (Belgium)
• 

  New developments and optimisation of high strength boron treated steels through the application of advanced boron monitoring techniques (OPTIBOS)
  Final report

  This project was directed to high strength boron treated steels. Different processing routes have been addressed: Hot rolling followed by Q&T for plates and strips, direct quenching and subsequent tempering for plates and cold rolled and annealed sheet steels. The aim of this work is obtaining a...

  This project was directed to high strength boron treated steels. Different processing routes have been addressed: Hot rolling followed by Q&T for plates and strips, direct quenching and subsequent tempering for plates and cold rolled and annealed sheet steels. The aim of this work is obtaining a better understanding of the behaviour of boron in Ti- protected and Al-protected steels. Materials were sampled from production or laboratory cast and pilot plant processed under different conditions. The material performance has been determined through the study of weldability, formability and hole expansion, wear, hardness, tensile and Charpy tests. The results have been linked to the composition, the microstructure and to the role of B at each stage of the production. Jominy and dilatometry tests have been carried out in order to investigate the effect of composition and processing conditions on B effectiveness. The study of the austenite recrystallization kinetics revealed the synergy between B and Nb. The capability of different characterisation techniques to monitor B allowed the selection of some of them as the most valuable and their application at different stages of the work. The sensitivity of current Thermodynamic predictions to BN and AlN precipitation has been investigated, indicating that work still remains to be done on the thermodynamic databases. Several available transformation models have also been assessed on the B-treated steels and the results are outlined in the text. Based on the developed knowledge, two new optimised compositions were proposed, cast and processed at laboratory and tested.

  • Published: 2017-03-07
  • Corporate Author(s): Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission)
  • Personal Author(s): Xu, W ; Ponge, D ; Rose, A.J ; Gutierrez, I ; Green, M ; Husain, Z ; Larrañaga, A ; Li, Y ; Tolleneer, Isabelle ; Wilcox, D ; Choi, P ; Jorge-Badiola, D ; De Knijf, D
  • Subject: industrial research, iron and steel industry, materials technology, metalworking, production technique, research report, resistance of materials, steel
• 

  Steel tailor tubes (STT)
  Final report

  Following the necessary car weight reduction strategy, in order to minimize the fuel consumption and reduce the CO2 emissions, there are many technical approaches to reduce the weight of each one of the vehicle components. The STT project (Steel Tailored Tubes) explored the potential of tube tai...

  Following the necessary car weight reduction strategy, in order to minimize the fuel consumption and reduce the CO2 emissions, there are many technical approaches to reduce the weight of each one of the vehicle components. The STT project (Steel Tailored Tubes) explored the potential of tube tailoring by means of local thickness reduction utilizing the flowforming process on automotive components. The combined technology has been evaluated in laboratory scale tests for two tube specimens of two diameters in four steel grades: AISI304L, AISI441, E355TT and 20Mnv6TT. The influence of different thickness reduction has been analyzed and variations in mechanical properties, hardness, microstructure and formability measured. The severity of the process, where a complete yield of the thickness is needed to let the material flow, is such that even for the minimum thickness reduction, the total formability is practically consumed. On the other hand the mechanical properties, e.g. the yield strength and tensile strength, follow an increasing tendency as the thickness reduction increases. Including a thermal annealing stage after flowforming would overcome this formability restriction and reset the material properties. During the project two industrial prototypes have been redesigned, considering formability limitations, and constructed, a tailored exhaust pipe and a tailored twist beam prototype. Their behavior has been evaluated through different tests (geometrical tolerances, functionality, corrosion, welding etc.) with positive results. The manufacturing guideline reported in the project is a summary of the results of the project and it can be used by the component designers and manufacturers to determine the geometries and forming possibilities for the tailored steel tubes.

  • Published: 2017-01-09
  • Corporate Author(s): Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission)
  • Personal Author(s): Masague, Daniel ; Pullini, Daniele ; Eguia Ibarzabal, Iñaki ; Contreras, Julia ; Melander, Arne ; Björkblad, Anders ; Sanchez, Rafael ; Ziggiotti, Alessandro ; Klarner, Juergen ; Holzknecht, Norbert ; Arroyo Llanos, Amaia
  • Subject: industrial research, iron and steel industry, materials technology, motor vehicle industry, research project, research report, steel