Per: ARTHUR FELIPE LINO OLIVEIRA (usiminas), beatriz fausta gandra (usiminas), GUSTAVO HENRIQUE PINTO DE OLIVEIRA (USIMINAS)
Abstract:
At Usiminas it was observed that Blast Furnace #1 (BF#1) was presenting hot metal with higher silicon contents than Blast Furnace #3 (BF#3). In order to verify the operational correlations that justify this difference in quality, a statistical analysis of the blast furnaces operational data from January to April 2021 was performed. The t-test for independent samples and the Mann-Whitney were used for comparative evaluation between the furnaces. In addition, a factor analysis of the data was performed considering the dynamic complexity of the reactors. BF#1 presented operating parameters favorable to the reduction of silicon in hot metal when compared to BF#3, such as: lower coke rate, lower hot metal temperature, higher productivity, and higher level of oxygen enrichment. However, it presented a higher fuel rate and higher quartz loading when compared to BF#3, which may have favored the greater incorporation of silicon in the BF#1. For BF#3 the counter pressure system had a great influence to reduce the silicon of the hot metal, indicating that, due to technological differences, the furnaces must not operate in the same way regarding silicon control.