The applications of vacuum treatments for coating metals are recalled. The surface preparation, which is essential for any efficient deposition process, is first examined. The main vacuum coating techniques are described in detail, with the emphasis on technologies actually used in tndustry, with their advantages and disadvantages. Examples of the industrial application of this process are given and their economic importance discussed.

Existing rolling mills entering the markets for high quality steel may be limited by their descaling systems installed in terms of pressure and flow rate. In addition to the potential for optimizations of existing systems, the potential for optimization of the nozzle design itself has now been fully utilized in order to maximize the impact at a given water flow and pressure. New design methods and production technologies have been applied.

The instrumented bars designed and patented by Arcelor Research enable precise calibration of the actuators (roll-gap, transversal and longitudinal tilting and back-up rolls) of levellers. The calibration procedure requires to stop the cut-to-length line for 30 minutes to calibrate the leveller, if no major mechanical operation is necessary. The measurement device will guarantee the pre-setting validity and the longevity of the leveller.

“Stand-support sintering”, that is supporting the load of the sinter cake with bars or plates attached to pallets, has been developed and applied practically to the sintering machines in Kimitsu works, Nippon Steel. The stands start to support the load of the sinter cake just after the top layer is melted and starts to solidify. Shrinkage is stopped and the gas flow rate is increased when the stands start to support the load of the sinter cake. It was found that sintering time was shortened and productivity was improved in actual sintering machines.

The major changes that have occurred in the steel industry are described along three periods: the thirty years boom-period after World War II; the zero growth period (1973-1983); the last period, from 1983 to nowadays. Under the heavy influence of the overall trends of world economy, these periods can be distinguished, for the steel industry, by the different levels of priority for productivity, for specific flat carbon steel product developments or for environmental protection. The intricate relations that prevail between the development of new processes, innovative product metallurgies and the requirements expressed by steel customers are highlighted.

The accuracy of the parameters is of great importance in the calculation and simulationof the COREX process. Therefore, it is necessary to measure some parameters, especiallythe heat loss and its distribution, which have not been reported before. Based on thecharacteristics of the two sets of the Baosteel COREX-3000 process, a method and standardare established for the heat loss and its distribution. Then the heat loss anddistribution are calculated based on the measured parameters. The results show that thetotal heat loss of the two COREX processes is 495.4 MJ/tHM and 413.7 MJ/tHM. The heat losscaused by cooling water accounts for more than 93% of the total heat loss while the heatloss of furnace shells is less than 7%. The main heat loss caused by cooling water takesplace at the tap hole zone, which is also the part of the COREX system with the most heatloss Its heat loss is about 30% of the heat loss caused by cooling water and 28% of thetotal heat loss of the COREX system. The main heat loss of furnace shells takes place atthe dome of the melter-gasifier and the reducing gas entrance position of the shaftfurnace, where the heat loss accounts for nearly 90% of the heat loss of furnace shells.It is also found that the energy utilization efficiency of the 1# COREX system is muchlower than that of the 2# COREX system after comparison.

To meet the demand for Interstitial Free and Bake Hardening steelgrades for the automotive industry, CST has developed a productionprocess for steels with ultra low carbon (<20 ppm), and low nitrogen(<30 ppm) levels, along with a narrow range of carbon content. Thenew process also ensures a high degree of cleanliness of the CCslabs.

In spite of its shortcomings, the salt spray test is universally used to characterize the corrosion resistance of zinc based coatings. A working group has tried to improve its reliability by the introduction of a new calibration method of the equipment. The outcome of the work is the definition of a new testing procedure, presently adopted in France for the control of coated products delivered to the automobile industry.

TEM in situ straining experiments are of high interest in evidencing the dislocation mechanisms responsible for the macroscopic behaviour of materials. The application of this technique to biphased materials is illustrated here through various examples in which deformation is controlled either by dislocation propagation (e.g. precipitate overcoming) or by dislocation nucleation (e.g. interfacial sources).

Today, the numerical simulation of fluid dynamic phenomena(CFD) in steelmaking applications is state of the art. Thelatest simulation results for the BOF and AOD as well asthe thin strip casting process are described. The basicinfluence of the process parameters, e.g. blowing andstirring rate, vessel dimension, location of top lance, numberand arrangement of porous plugs, on the converter meltflow and mixing time is simulated. In the case of thin stripcasting, the free melt flow on the moving belt is influencedby an induced electromagnetic field. The respective MHD(magneto-hydrodynamic) is presented.

The performance of lubrication systems for cold double reductionrolling has been investigated. Pilot mill trials have been achievedwith direct and recirculated emulsion application as well as with pureoil to analyse the effect of lubrication by emulsion on role bite frictionand the associated speed effect. It is then attempted to define anoptimized lubrication system that combines the advantages affordedby the direct and recirculated application systems.

CPM developed a mechanical sensor to measure coke oven wall deflections. This sensor was used in Dunkirk coke plant under normal operating conditions and showed reversible deflections between 1 and 1.5 mm when plastic layers meet at the oven centre. Special blends, with a high content of low volatile coals, were charged in several ovens of the Drocourt coke plant. In those conditions, CPM noticed the same phenomena as in Dunkirk plant but also reversible wall deflections just after charging.

The topography of grain boundary thermal grooves in the Ni-rich NiAl is studied by the atomic force microscopy. It is demonstrated how the processes of grain boundary sliding and surface faceting modify the shape of the grooves. The quantitative theory of grain boundary grooving that takes into account the above complications is developed. The great potential of grooving studies for the analysis of microstructure evolution is emphasized.