Research
The Primary Metallurgy Research Group is lead by Associate Professor Ville-Valtteri Visuri and focuses on the study of melting and refining processes in steelmaking, most importantly electric arc furnace (EAF) and converters. Recently, we have extended our activities to the study of hydrogen plasma smelting reduction (HPSR), a novel one-step process for reduction, melting and refining. Through experimentation, simulation, and comprehensive analysis of the process fundamentals, we seek to develop efficient CO2-lean operating practices in collaboration with the forerunners of the steel industry.Our current efforts are focused on sustainable steelmaking practices, with a specific emphasis on utilization CO2-free direct reduced iron (DRI) in EAFs and smelters as well as using the HPSR process for reduction of iron ores and chromite. As for converters, we have extensive experience in argon-oxygen decarburization (AOD) and basic oxygen furnaces (BOF). Our research activities cover also hot metal desulfurization prior to BOF.
Methodologically, we have competencies particularly in the development of dynamic mathematical models, utilization of computational thermodynamics and high-temperature experiments, and characterization and modification of metallurgical slags. Our team collaborates actively with leading research groups and we warmly welcome visiting researchers studying primary metallurgy.
Research areas
- Hot metal pretreatments
- Electric arc furnaces
- Electric smelters
- Hydrogen plasma smelting reduction
- Converters
Research tools
- Reaction kinetics: thermodynamic-kinetic reaction models, data-driven models, process models, high-temperature experiments (metal-slag, metal-refractory, metal-gas)
- Reaction equilibria: computational thermodynamics (FactSage, Thermo-Calc, HSC Chemistry), thermogravimetry Fluid flows: computational fluid dynamics (Fluent, COMSOL), physical modelling
- Characterization: FE-SEM/EDS, XRF, XRD, OES, DSC-TGA
Ongoing research projects
International funding bodies
- Adoption of Hydrogen Metallurgy in the Climate-neutral Production of Steel (HELIOS)
European Union, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network - Digital twins for green hydrogen transition in steel industry (TWINGHY)
European Union, Research Fund for Coal and Steel - Sustainable digitalized metallurgy for a climate neutral and resource efficient planet (SusMet4Planet)
Austrian Research Promotion Agency
Domestic funding bodies
- Carbon-free steelmaking by hydrogen use (H2IRON)
Tiina and Antti Herlin Foundation - Towards Carbon Neutral Metals 2 (TOCANEM 2)
Business Finland - Towards Fossil-Free Steel 2 (FFS 2)
Business Finland - Towards CO2-lean electric arc furnace steelmaking through fundamental and data-driven mathematical modeling (LEAF)
Research Council of Finland
Examples of past research on the metallurgy of steelmaking
Ironmaking and hot metal pretreatments
Primary metallurgy
- argon-oxygen decarburisation (AOD)
- basic oxygen furnace (BOF)
- ferrochrome converter (CRC)
- electric arc furnace (EAF)
- hydrogen plasma smelting reduction (HPSR)
Secondary metallurgy
- composition adjustment by sealed argon bubbling - oxygen blowing (CAS-OB)
- gas-stirred ladles
- inclusion metallurgy
- vacuum tank degassing (VTD)
Casting
Examples of past and current collaboration partners
- Aalto University, Finland
- Casim Consulting Oy, Finland
- Cybernetica AS, Norway
- Idener, Spain
- Indalgo Oy, Finland
- KU Leuven, Belgium
- Luleå University of Technology, Sweden
- Luxmet Oy, Finland
- Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, Germany
- Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria
- Northeastern University, China
- Outokumpu Stainless Oy, Finland
- Pinja Oy, Finland
- RWTH Aachen University, Germany
- SSAB Europe Oy, Finland
- VDEh Betriebsforschungsinstitut GmbH, Germany
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finland
- Weierstraß-Institut für Angewandte Analysis und Stochastik, Germany