New Techniques in the Iron Manufacturing Industry

Abstract

New techniques of the iron manufacture in Japan belong to those inthe European countries and America.They were introduced first to the rolling mill, then to the steel and pig iron manufacturing processes.Up-grading the blast furnace interms of higher production rates and lower coke rates could be successfully achieved bysizing the feed stock, and fuel injection from the tuyer such as oxygen, heavy oil andpulverized coal, etc.Direct reduction of iron are is not a new technique, but natural gasor coke has been industrially utilized for high grade fine ore.
As for steel making process, productivity has remarkably been improved by a largeamount of oxygen injection to the open-hearth furnace.Furthermore, introduction of thesteel making process using the converter of pure oxygen up-injection made the massproduction of high mild steel economically practicable.
Production of iron and steel in Japan is increasing markedly, however, most of ourraw materials have to depend upon the overseas resources, and therefore we must strivefor decrease in the import expense and rapid increase in the export from the viewpointof the balance of trade and the scale of the domestic market.