Research
My research focuses on process metallurgy; a discipline, which studies the refining of molten metals. Global megatrends, such as urbanisation and climate change, require extensive research on new types of steels and new methods to manufacture them. In the last few decades, great progress has been made in reducing the environmental load of steel per tons produced. This has been enabled to great extent by the use of modern computational methods, new measurement technology and new operating practices.In my research work, I work mostly with chemical thermodynamics, chemical kinetics and transport phenomena in converter and ladle metallurgy of steelmaking. I conduct and instruct research with a boad range of methods, including mathematical modelling, physical modelling, computational thermodynamics modelling, computational fluid dynamics modelling, online measurements and high-temperature experiments.
The research is often made in cooperation with companies and foreign research institutes. So far, I have participated in joint research with Aalto University (Finland), VDEh Betriebsforschungsinstitut GmbH (Germany), Cybernetica AS (Norway), Idener (Spain), Indalgo Oy (Finland), Luxmet Oy (Finland), KU Leuven (Belgium), Montanuniversität Leoben (Austria), Northeastern University (China), RWTH Aachen University (Germany), SSAB Europe Oy (Finland), Outokumpu Stainless Oy (Finland, Sweden, USA), Pinja Oy (Finland), VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (Finland), and Weierstraß-Institut für Angewandte Analysis und Stochastik (Germany).
Current research topics
Own research activities:- Mathematical and physical modelling of hot metal desulphurisation
- Mathematical modelling of the ferrochrome converter
- Mathematical modelling of the AOD process
- Mathematical modelling of the EAF process
- Experimental study of agglomeration in submerged arc furnaces
- Experimental study of hot metal desulphurisation
- Mathematical modelling of annealing furnaces
- Mathematical modelling of the BOF converter
- Mathematical modelling of the EAF process
- Mathematical modelling of inclusions formation, growth and agglomeration
- Thermodynamic-kinetic modelling of phase changes in steels
- Vibration-based measurements in converter and ladle metallurgy
Portfolio
Ironmaking and hot metal pretreatments Primary metallurgy- ferrochrome converter
- electric arc furnace (EAF)
- argon-oxygen decarburisation (AOD)
- basic oxygen furnace (BOF)
- gas-stirred ladles
- composition adjustment by sealed argon bubbling - oxygen blowing (CAS-OB)
- vacuum tank degassing (VTD)
- inclusion metallurgy
Current and past research projects
I have been involved in several projects with budgets ranging from few tens of thousands to several millions of euros. The projects are conducted in close co-operation with the steel industry. In the recent years, the international collaboration has intensified especially with German, Austrian, Belgian and Chinese partners.Programme/project level tasks
Role |
Duration | Programme/project name | Budget | Funder |
Member of the Steering Group, Responsible for preparation of project plan and budgeting |
2019– | Alustatalous metallinjalostuksessa (AMET) |
EUR 4.74 million | Business Finland |
Expert Member of the Steering Group Responsible for preparation of project plan and budgeting |
2018– | Symbiosis of Steel Production and Nature (SYMMET) |
EUR 6.9 million | Business Finland |
Member of the Management Group | 2017– | Genome of Steel profilation project | NA | Academy of Finland |
Contact person, prepared WP6 | 2015–2019 | Mathematics and Materials Science for Steel Production and Manufacturing (MIMESIS) | EUR 2.1 million | European Union |
Major role in preparation of project plan and budgeting | 2017–2018 | Flexible and Adaptive Operations in Metal Production (FLEX) | EUR 4.4 million | Business Finland |
Major role in preparation of project plan and budgeting | 2014–2017 | System Integrated Metals Processing (SIMP) | EUR 24.2 million | TEKES |
Subproject/workpackage level tasks
Role |
Topic(s) | Duration | Name | Budget | Programme | Funder |
Contact person | EAF | 2020– | WP3 Metal recovery | NA | High potential inorganic side streams (MIMEPRO) | Business Finland |
WP leader, Researcher | Continuous casting EAF HMD |
2019– | WP2 Phenomenon-based models and AI | NA | Alustatalous metallinjalostuksessa (AMET) | Business Finland |
Researcher, Secretary of the Management Group | HMD | 2018– | TT1 + TT2 | EUR 4.6 million | Symbiosis of Steel Production and Nature (SYMMET) | Business Finland |
Researcher | Continuous casting Inclusions |
2017– | Process Metallurgy | NA | Genome of Steel profilation project | Academy of Finland |
Contact person | Ladle | 2015–2019 | WP6 Optimal control of ladle stirring | EUR 2.1 million | Mathematics and Materials Science for Steel Production and Manufacturing (MIMESIS) | European Union |
Researcher | HMD | 2017–2018 | Proactive Metal Production (PMP) | NA | Flexible and Adaptive Operations in Metal Production (FLEX) | Business Finland |
Researcher, Secretary of the Management Group | AOD BOF CAS-OB VTD |
2017–2018 | Adaptive Refining Metallurgy (ARM) | EUR 1.2 million | Flexible and Adaptive Operations in Metal Production (FLEX) | Business Finland |
Researcher, contact person | AOD Ladle |
2014–2017 | Sustainable Production of Ferroalloys (ProFe) | NA |
FiDiPro | TEKES |
Researcher, Secretary of the Management Group | AOD BOF CAS-OB VTD |
2014–2017 | Dynamic multiphysics modelling as guidance in progressing steel making (DYNAMO) | EUR 7.5 million | System Integrated Metals Processing (SIMP) | TEKES |
Researcher | HMD | 2016 | Decision support of metallurgical processes (DECISIO) | NA | System Integrated Metals Processing (SIMP) | TEKES |
Researcher, Member of the Management Group | AOD CAS-OB Inclusions |
2012–2014 | Advanced Melt Metallurgy (AMMe) | EUR 6.5 million | Energy and Lifecycle-efficient Metal Processes (ELEMET) |
TEKES |

MIMESIS project meeting at the Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics (WIAS) in Berlin, Germany (June 2016).
Grants and scholarships
The following foundations or organisations are acknowledged for grants and scholarships:Finnish Culture Foundation (2015)
Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion (2013 & 2015)
Finnish Science Foundation for Economics and Technology (2013)
Graduate School in Chemical Engineering (2012 & 2013)
Tauno Tönning Foundation (2015 & 2016)
Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation (2013 & 2016)
Walter Ahlström foundation (2019)