Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) is carrying out technical upgrades to blast furnace 8. Following the expected completion during the winter period, the blast furnace will be ready to serve seasonal growth in demand for metal in Spring.
The technical upgrades to the blast furnace started in early December 2014 and are scheduled to be completed by 15 March 2015. It is expected that the blast heaters will start warming up as early as February as the first stage of preparation for launch. Hearth jacket mounting and lintel plate welding are being carried out presently. Demounting of the old furnace elements, foundation repair and replacement and lining of the hot blast main have already been completed.
The upgraded blast furnace will incorporate a ‘ceramic bucket’, which will protect the hearth and furnaces’ carbon blocks from moisture and oxygen supplied to the blast furnace. This design of the furnace refractory lining, which is already installed on several blast furnaces at the MMK mills, increases intervals between repairs. The ceramic bucket was supplied by MMK’s Chinese partners. The automation controls of the blast furnace will also undergo significant upgrades. New controllers produced by Siemens will be installed instead of the previous outdated components.
