Kobe Steel announces the start of operation of a new hot metal cleaning complex

Kobe Steel Limited commissioned a new hot metal cleaning station in April at its Kakogawa facility in western Japan. The company built the facility to improve the manufacturing system at Kakogawa and expand sales of high quality steel products and increase its cost competitiveness.

Hot metal working is the process of removing sulfur and phosphorus impurities from molten iron. Kobe Steel products such as special steels, high strength automotive sheet steels and steel sheets for the energy sector require a high degree of cleanliness. For the production of these steels, hot metal refining is an important process.

The new hot metal plant has two Kanbara desulfurization reactors and one dephosphorization furnace. The new equipment, together with the existing equipment, will allow Kobe Steel to increase the production capacity of high-end products. The plant increases the efficiency of the desulfurization and dephosphorization reactions, thereby reducing the consumption of processing aids and improving yields.

This cleaning system will save Kakogawa about 6 billion yen per year. In an effort to strengthen the competitiveness of its steel mills, Kobe Steel is working to increase its market presence while increasing its profitability. The Kanbara reactor uses a stirring method to remove sulfur from molten iron. The impeller mixes the molten iron and sulfur is removed during chemical reactions. The total investment in the Kakogawa Steel Works was approximately 30 billion yen.