how steel plate is made,Industry's Growth Path

how steel plate is made,Introduction to Steel Plate Making Steel plate is an important material that is widely used in various industries such a

Introduction to Steel Plate Making

Steel plate is an important material that is widely used in various industries such as construction, automotive, and shipbuilding. The process of making steel plate is quite complex. First, iron ore is mined from the ground. This iron ore contains a lot of impurities. It is then smelted in a blast furnace. In the blast furnace, coke (a form of carbon) is used as a fuel and reducing agent. The high temperature in the furnace helps to separate the iron from the impurities in the ore. This results in the production of pig iron.

After that, the pig iron is further refined in a basic oxygen furnace or an electric arc furnace. In the basic oxygen furnace, high - purity oxygen is blown into the molten pig iron. This helps to burn off the remaining impurities like carbon, sulfur, and phosphorus, and adjust the chemical composition of the iron to turn it into steel. In the electric arc furnace, electricity is used to heat and melt scrap steel along with some pig iron if needed. The molten steel is then continuously cast into slabs or billets.

To make steel plates, the slabs or billets are reheated in a reheating furnace to a suitable temperature for rolling. Then, they are passed through a series of rolling mills. These rolling mills gradually reduce the thickness of the slab or billet and shape it into a flat plate. Different types of rolling mills, such as hot - rolling mills and cold - rolling mills, can be used depending on the final requirements of the steel plate. Hot - rolling mills are usually used for thicker plates, and cold - rolling mills are for thinner and more precise plates. After rolling, the steel plate may go through processes like annealing (heating and cooling in a controlled way to improve the properties), pickling (removing surface oxides), and coating (applying a protective layer) to make it ready for use in different applications.

Questions and Answers about Steel Plate Making

Question 1: What is the main role of coke in the process of making steel plate? Answer: In the process of making steel plate, coke is mainly used as a fuel and a reducing agent in the blast furnace. It helps to provide the heat needed for the smelting process and also helps to separate the iron from the impurities in the iron ore.

Question 2: Why are different types of rolling mills used in making steel plates? Answer: Different types of rolling mills, like hot - rolling mills and cold - rolling mills, are used in making steel plates because they are used depending on the final requirements of the steel plate. Hot - rolling mills are suitable for making thicker plates, while cold - rolling mills are used for thinner and more precise plates.