OTHER DETAILS
Research & Development
Specific areas in which R&D was carried out by the Company- Research was carried out in the areas of raw materials including iron ore, coal, coke, ferro chrome and titania, sinter quality and blast furnace productivity, product development, process improvement, energy utilization, energy conservation and waste utilization. The expenditure on R&D is described in Table 4.6.

Benefits derived- Some of the important benefits from R&D projects are listed below;

• A new technology was developed in collaboration with Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai, for reducing hexavalent chromium to parts per billion levels in chrome or concentrate. This will ensure that the Company’s product meets stringent international specifications on hexavalent chromium.
  A patent has been filed on the new process.

• Galvanized coated steels have been established for fuel tank application in the automotive industry. This product replaces imported tem coated steels and has been accepted by a number of auto manufacturers such as Bajaj Auto Limited, Hero Honda Motors Limited, Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India Private Ltd., TVS Limited, etc.

• Corrosion resistant hollow structural tubes have been developed and launched under the “STRUCTURA” brand, which have double the corrosion resistance of ordinary tubes.

• A new process has been established for the production of hydrogen gas in using waste heat of steel making slag. A patent has been filed for this process.

• A new formulation has been developed and implemented in collaboration with IIT Kharagpur for rubber rolls used in various sections of the cold rolling mill. The life of these rolls has increased from an average of around 10 days to currently in excess of 100 days. This exceeds Nippon Steel Corporation’s performance of 90 days.

• Besides the above, a large number of projects were completed, many of which have resulted in benefits in terms of increased productivity (such as reducing reheating time of slabs of interstitial free grade of steels), reduced cost and enhanced product quality with customer support.

Future plan of action –

• Establish flow sheet and design equipment for 1.5% AI203 in fines.

• Establish 8% ash in coal with high yield at pilot scale.

• Establish the use of 7-holes lance in steel making for better dephosphorisation.

• Reduce slag volume in blast furnace.

• Pilot scale demonstration of high strength (>1000 Mpa yield strength), high ductility (50% elongation) steel for automotive applications.

• Reduce electricity consumption in the production of ferro chrome.

• Commercialize use of LD slag as soil conditioner.

Status of Patents & Copyrights (05-06)

• Patents sealed - 44 Nos.

• Copyrights sealed - Nil

• Patent applications in Process - 256 Nos.

• Copyright applications in Process – Nil

• TOTAL – 300 Nos.

Technology Absorption, Adaptation and Innovation

1. Efforts made:

Steel Making / Slag Casting Area

• Vessel lining-One LD vessel at LD#2&SC was tried with Mag-Carbon lining resulting in doubling of the vessel life from 1650 heats (with Tar-Dolo lining) to 3284 heats.

• Ladle lining-Use of Alumina-Magnesia-Carbon brick in steel ladle has resulted in ladle life improvement from 70 heats (with Tar-Dolo brick) to 82 heats.

• Vanadium addition-Introduction of Nitrovan-Vanadium as a substitute of Fe-V has helped in reduction of Vanadium requirement by 20%.

• Caster productivity-Modification of primary and secondary cooling in two curved mould casters (Caster B&C) has resulted in about 15% increase in productivity.