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

On-going co-operative research:

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

Secondary metallurgy

Casting

continuous casting (CC)

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)