An integrated steel South American steel company contracted a Chinese equipment supplier to construct an EAF and rolling Mini Mill. Ferrousity conducted a technical investigation leading to compilation of an expert witness report, identifying defects in design and equipment manufacture.
Ferrousity has conducted failure investigations in three coke oven plants. Loss of underfiring gas has led to cooling and damage to the coke oven battery refractory fabric. On two assignments, this has led to significant damage of the battery heating and flue damage.
Ferrousity has been involved in cause investigations to boiler explosions, powerhouse failures, major BOF spillages and breakouts and failures of continuous casters. All of these assignments led to significant loss of production and profit.
Failure of DRI reformer tubes causes plant loss. Ferrousity has been involved in six DRI reformer investigations. We have also been involved in an investigation of DRI stockpile self-ignition fires.
Our investigations have covered ferro-nickel, copper-nickel and ilmenite smelters. Most investigations have covered refractory failure and various smelter and refractory design issues. Premature failure of refractories by hydration (magnesia) or water ingress (carbon) has been a factor in several of these assignments.
We have conducted failure investigations in many blast furnace plants. Blast furnace hearth or taphole failures normally lead to significant downtime and loss of profits. In such assignments, we have identified the cause of damage, timing and damage mechanism. Chilled hearths are often caused by operational upsets. Determining cause and recovery analysis has assisted our…