Recent Advances in the Fundamentals of the Kinetics of Steelmaking Reactions

G.R. Belton was the leader in developing our understanding of the kinetics of metallurgical reactions. Selected recent kinetic studies, based on this understanding and the application of the results to actual processes, are presented in this article. In particular, the rates of reaction of carbon and carbon in iron with CO2 and H2O gases and FeO in slag are reviewed and applied to the iron smelting process. In addition, our basic understanding of the kinetics of the nitrogen reaction with iron is reviewed, and the results are used in comprehensive models, which can predict the nitrogen content in steel as a function of operating variables in the basic oxygen furnace, electric arc furnace (EAF), and vacuum degassing.