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EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has been promulgated. The steel industry is included in CBAM, which will undoubtedly affect the export trade of China's steel manufacturers to the EU. It is necessary to analyse the impact of CBAM on China's steel industry quantitatively. By establishing a system dynamics model that can simulate the operation mechanism of the steel supply chain in China, we have clarified the impacts of CBAM on the China's steel export and carbon reduction. Moreover, we have reasonably set up scenarios that represent the possible decarbonisation paths of China's steel industry and evaluated the implementation effect of each policy in these scenarios. The analysis shows that CBAM will lead to a decrease of 32% in export volume and a loss of 58% in export profits for China's steel exporters. The environmental benefits of CBAM are limited. Due to the low trade exposure, CBAM is unable to promote a large-scale carbon reduction in the China's steel industry. Although CBAM will bring great pressure to steel exporters, a comprehensive policy of adopting more emission reduction measures can greatly improve the carbon reduction efficiency, effectively reduce the negative impact of CBAM, and maintain the stability of steel exports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The train stowage planning problem (TSPP) of the steel industry aims to select steel coils and allocate them to trains cost-effectively. It is a key component in the transportation of steel products. This study focuses on a multiobjective train stowage planning problem (MoTSPP) that maximises both the loading efficiency of the crane and the loading rate of the train. The MoTSPP also considers operation constraints related to steel coils, train wagons, and stowage modes in real-life railway transportation. An integer programming model is established to mathematically describe this problem. To obtain an efficient solution, a multiobjective analytical evolutionary algorithm (MAEA) that combines evolutionary algorithm (EA) with machine learning (ML) is presented. The EA part is a multiobjective differential evolution that introduces guided evolution and parameter adaptation to produce promising individuals and parameters, respectively. ML part adopts clustering algorithm and surrogate model to accelerate the search. Extensive comparisons and insight analyses are conducted from various perspectives to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the MAEA for solving the MoTSPP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian politics tried to benefit from the competition between the two Cold War Blocs by gaining beneficial terms for economic cooperation and assistance. At times, Soviet and Central and Eastern European designs could prove more successful on the ground than their direct competitors from the West. This paper analyses cooperation schemes in the steel sector and scrutinises the reasons why this was the case. Economic cooperation between East and South was vibrant and could be mutually beneficial during the whole period of the Cold War, thereby calling into question a narrative of steady decline inherent in state socialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protection systems are designed so that they can prevent disasters when critical events (demands) occur. These systems are usually inactive and their functionality is only noticeable during a demand or through inspections. Furthermore, the level of deterioration of the system can worsen due to the actions of external events (shocks), which can accelerate the process of its natural wear. Thus, in order to ensure the readiness of such systems, we modeled a hybrid inspection and replacement policy for safety brakes subject to shocks. The policy considers additional inspections beyond the scheduled inspections subject to misclassification. The system is replaced when any inspection indicates that it has failed, either immediately after the Mth inspection, or immediately after the Kth met demand, or immediately after an unmet demand – whichever comes first. Our model is motivated by a real case of a safety brake in a steel mill. We compared this policy with two other classical policies and saw that it has significant cost-saving potential in relation to both. The results indicate how important inspections are for systems with hidden failures and show when the observation of shocks should be prioritized over inspection actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The steel industry is one of the hard-to-abate sectors for decarbonization, and direct electrification is not possible or economically infeasible. This study investigates the application of the Water-Energy-Carbon nexus in the steel industry through a multi-generation plant, addressing the industry's demands for water, energy, and alternative fuel. The proposed multi-generation plant consists of parabolic trough solar collectors, an organic Rankine cycle, urban wastewater treatment, carbon capture, anaerobic digestion combined with heat and power, a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer, and a steelmaking plant. Thermodynamic and exergoeconomic analyses are conducted to investigate the system's efficiency and economic performance. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to identify the optimal links between nexus resources, followed by a multi-dimensional evaluation and multi-objective optimization. The results showed that under base conditions, the plant can annually produce 900 ktons of steel, 105 GWh of net power, 430.1 tons of water, and 517 tons of hydrogen, while preventing 34.7 ktons of CO 2 emissions. The exergy efficiency and unit exergy cost of the products are 46.1% and 57.8 $/GJ, respectively. Under optimized conditions, the plant achieves a maximum net annual power output of 160 GWh, an exergy efficiency of 46.9%, and a minimum unit exergy cost of 51.4 $/GJ. [Display omitted] • Multi-generation plant for energy, water, and fuel for steel industry. • System integrates solar, wastewater treatment, and carbon capture. • Thermodynamic and exergoeconomic analyses assess efficiency and costs. • Optimization achieves 46.9% exergy efficiency and 51.4 $/GJ unit exergy cost. • Plant annually produces 900 kt steel, 105 GWh power, 430.1 t water, 517 t hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the typical charge structure for blast furnace smelting of vanadium–titanium magnetite (VTM) is the addition of acidic pellets, high‐basicity sinters, and lumps. To increase the percentage of pellets entering the blast furnace, it is necessary to transfer the basicity burden to the pellets. In this study, the effect of basicity on the phase transition and oxidation hardening mechanism of VTM pellets is investigated. In the results, it is indicated that when the preheating temperature is 950 °C, the preheating time is 15 min, the roasting temperature is 1260 °C, and the roasting time is 15 min, with the basicity (CaO/SiO2) increasing from 0.08 to 1.3, the compressive strength of pellets shows a trend of "increasing first and then decreasing," with the highest value reaching 3159 N pellet−1 at basicity of 0.5. As the basicity increases, calcium ferrate can be generated by CaO in the liquid phase with Fe2O3 in addition to silicate with SiO2, which will increase the amount of the liquid phase. With the increase of basicity, the oxide‐bonded induration is gradually weakened, and the slag‐bonded induration is gradually enhanced. A moderate amount of liquid phase can play the role of bonding and filling, thereby improving compressive strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The iron and steel industry is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for about 7–9 % of the total emissions. This paper examines sustainable production methods in the iron and steel industry, focusing on decarbonization strategies and energy integration. It covers a wide range of alternative reductants to replace the conventional use of coal. Moreover, the paper highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with each approach. Additionally, it discusses the design modifications for coal‐based sponge iron plants, aiming to reduce coal consumption and waste gas generation while ensuring economic viability. This study provides a roadmap for transitioning to environmentally friendly, technically feasible, and economically viable iron and steel manufacturing processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The iron ore industry faces increasing electricity demand due to industrialization, making effective management of electricity demand crucial. This study proposes a temperature compensation model using Support Vector Regression (SVR), aiming to enhance the accuracy of sensors in monitoring electricity demand. An experiment is conducted to assess the impact of temperature on sensor measurements, and a modified Whale Optimization Algorithm is employed to correct the sensor outputs. The proposed model is compared with both PSOSVR and unimproved WOA-SVR. Results show that the proposed model significantly improves accuracy, achieving a determination coefficient of 0.7882 and a relative standard deviation of the error square sum of 4.6412%. The results of this study not only enhance power demand management in iron mining but also hold potential applications across various industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the role of incumbent firms in driving transitions that entail multiple sectors, conditioned by multiple regimes. We analyse the case 'HYBRIT', a radical innovation venture championed by three incumbents from the steel and energy regimes. We investigate what conditions the incumbents' agency and how they enacted their agency targeting restructuring of the regime elements – actors, institutions, and materiality. We find that eight endogenous and exogenous factors coincide and condition the incumbents' agency, from which they act in a novel direction of change. We contribute by showing how the collaboration within and across regimes enabled the accomplishment of actions that would have been challenging for individual incumbents to achieve alone. In this setting of scale-intensive industries, incumbents have characteristics that give them a significantly larger capacity to stimulate change than newcomers. The timing and combination of endogenous and exogenous factors, enabling incumbents to collectively drive a transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ozone‐depleting substances (ODSs) are well known as primary emission from the production and consumption of traditional industrial sectors. Here, we reported the unintentional emission of ODSs from iron and steel plants as a new source, basing on real‐world measurements of flue gases emitted from their major processes. The sintering was found to be the major emission process of ODSs, including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), halons, methyl halide (CH3Cl), methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, methyl bromide and halogenated very short‐lived substances. The median emission factors of CFC‐113, CFC‐115, HCFC‐22, and CH3Cl for typical sintering processes are 1.7, 0.7, 44.5 and 237.0 mg/t, respectively. Quantum chemical calculation figures out that the ODS species are mainly formed in the low efficiency combustion process of halogenated materials. Annual amounts of ODS and CFC‐11‐equivalent emissions were estimated to be 1,785 tons and 78 tons in 2019 over mainland China, respectively. Given these findings, this study provides a new prospective on searching for ODS emission sources, especially unintentional sources such as iron and steel industry and other combustion related activities. Plain Language Summary: Ozone‐depletion substances (ODSs) are halocarbons that can damage the ozone layer. Although the tropospheric chlorine has been continuously declined, some halogenated organic gaseous species are still found to be increasingly emitted. This study firstly reports the unintentional emission of ODSs from iron and steel plants via real‐world measurements. ODS emission from the sintering process shows larger ozone depleting effect than that from ironmaking and steelmaking processes. The halogen‐containing iron ore, coke and fluxing agent provide mineral halogens for the generation of halogenated compounds, while the high temperature of combustion atmosphere in the sinter machine benefits for the chemical combination of halogens and hydrocarbons. Current air pollution control devices cannot effectively remove ODSs. This study aims at attracting attention to the identification and control of unintentional ODS emission sources in the future. Key Points: CFCs, HCFCs and halons were observed to be unintendedly emitted from iron and steel industryThe total CFC‐11‐eq emission from iron and steel industry was 78 tons over mainland China in 2019Homogenous gas‐phase formation routes of ODS species in flue gas were proposed and calculated [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the steel industry, summarizing and clarifying relevant research by previous academics about investment value. Firstly, based on qualitative research, this study investigated the macro, meso, and micro factors that affect the investment value of listed companies in the iron and steel industry through fundamental analysis. The second part studied the financial factors of listed companies in China's steel industry at the micro level through quantitative analysis. Ten evaluation indicators are selected from four aspects of growth capability, profitability, solvency and operating capability to establish the evaluation indicator system that reflects the comprehensive investment value of steel sectors on the Chinese stock main board. 28 steel companies listed on the main board are selected as research sample. Empirical analysis is conducted to study these selected sample companies through the factor analysis method and generate an investment value comprehensive score ranking in which Yongjin Co., Ltd is the top winner. The evaluation method adopted in this study is also applicable to investors in terms of analysis and decision-making to avoid risks and improve returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an ambitious, contentious, and world-spanning project. Using Chinese Communist Party (CCP) documents, this paper examines one of the stated purposes of the BRI: to address regional inequality between China's east and west, focusing upon Xinjiang. Through an analysis of regional economic data, the demographics of Xinjiang and Xinjiang governing bodies, and a case study of the Chinese steel industry, this paper shows that the BRI has so far failed to check increasing regional inequality in China and that job opportunities for local communities in Xinjiang are constrained by social and political factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steel surface defect detection poses a significant challenge in the steel industry, aiming to enhance product quality and production efficiency. Traditional mechanical and optical detection methods exhibit relatively low efficiency and poor real-time performance in detecting acceptable defects on the surface of steel strips. This paper proposes a new model named Hyper-YOLO for steel surface defect detection in steel strips. Firstly, the CSP module in the conventional YOLO backbone network is replaced with the Ghost module. The Ghost module, a lightweight convolutional module, enhances model efficiency by reducing parameter count and computational load while maintaining satisfactory performance. Secondly, researchers replace the PAFPN module in YOLO V5 in the bottleneck section with the Hyper FPN module. Hyper FPN, an improved feature pyramid network module, leverages features at different scales for multi-level feature fusion, enhancing the model's capability to detect targets at various scales. Lastly, improvements are made in the loss functions for both training and prediction stages. The α-CIoU loss function is introduced during training to substitute the original CIoU loss function, and the α-DIoU loss function is utilized during prediction instead of the original DIoU loss function. These enhanced loss functions effectively measure the accuracy and position precision of target boxes, thereby improving the detection performance of the model. Through these enhancements, the Hyper YOLO model achieves an overall performance improvement of 4.58% over the baseline model. This indicates that Hyper YOLO performs outstanding surface defect detection in steel strips, providing innovative insights for the YOLO V5 model. These improvements not only elevate the accuracy and efficiency of the model but also hold significant guidance for similar research and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates hydrogen's potential to accelerate the energy transition in hard-to-abate sectors, such as steel, petrochemicals, glass, cement, and paper. The goal is to assess how hydrogen, produced from renewable sources, can foster both industrial decarbonization and the expansion of renewable energy installations, especially solar and wind. Hydrogen's dual role as a fuel and a chemical agent for process innovation is explored, with a focus on its ability to enhance energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. Integrating hydrogen with continuous industrial processes minimizes the need for energy storage, making it a more efficient solution. Advances in electrolysis, achieving efficiencies up to 60%, and storage methods, consuming about 10% of stored energy for compression, are discussed. Specifically, in the steel sector, hydrogen can replace carbon as a reductant in the direct reduced iron (DRI) process, which accounts for around 7% of global steel production. A next-generation DRI plant producing one million tons of steel annually would require approximately 3200 MW of photovoltaic capacity to integrate hydrogen effectively. This study also discusses hydrogen's role as a co-fuel in steel furnaces. Quantitative analyses show that to support typical industrial plants, hydrogen facilities of several hundred to a few thousand MW are necessary. "Virtual" power plants integrating with both the electrical grid and energy-intensive systems are proposed highlighting hydrogen's critical role in industrial decarbonization and renewable energy growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional iron and steel industry (ISI), driven by coal utilization as its predominant feedstock, constitutes a substantial source of greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen metallurgy presents the opportunity to mitigate carbon emissions in ISI from the origin. Among hydrogen metallurgical approaches, the hydrogen-based direct reduction iron (H-DRI) process stands out for its substantial carbon reduction capabilities and established technological maturity. The present paper provides a comprehensive review of the development and application surrounding the H-DRI process. Firstly, the main chemical reactions of H-DRI and the relevant important parameters are introduced. Subsequently, an overview is provided of several prominent H-DRI processes, including HYL, Midrex, Midrex-H2®, HYL-III, HYL-ZR, BL, and Finmet, elucidating their characteristics through comparative analysis. Moreover, some research results of H-DRI process optimization are summarized. Leveraging insights garnered from globally representative projects exemplifying the industrial deployment of H-DRI technology in recent years, the trajectory of and prospective trends for industrial development in the field of H-DRI processes are explored. Further, prevailing challenges and impediments encountered in the adoption of H-DRI processes are identified, culminating in strategic recommendations tailored towards fostering future advancements. In the long term, the H-DRI process is expected to become a key path to achieve ISI cleaner production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Iron & steel industry contributed the most for unintentional PCNs emissions • Overall upward trend of unintentional PCNs emissions from 1960 to 2019 was revealed. • Per-capita emissions follows the typical inverted U-shaped environmental Kuznets curves. • Low-chlorinated PCNs dominate emissions by mass, while it's high-chlorinated PCNs by toxicity. Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are detrimental to human health and the environment. With the commercial production of PCNs banned, unintentional releases have emerged as a significant environmental source. However, relevant information is still scarce. In this study, provincial emissions for eight PCNs homologues from 37 sources in the Chinese mainland during the period of 1960-2019 were estimated based on a source-specific and time-varying emission factor database. The results showed that the total PCNs emissions in 2019 reached 757.0 kg with Hebei ranked at the top among all the provinces and iron & steel industry as the biggest source. Low-chlorinated PCNs comprised 90% of emissions by mass, while highly chlorinated PCNs dominated in terms of toxicity, highlighting divergent priorities for mitigating emissions and safeguarding human health. The emissions showed an overall upward trend from 1960 to 2019 driven by emission increase from iron & steel industry in terms of source, and from North China and East China in terms of geographic area. Per-capita emissions followed an inverted U-shaped environmental Kuznets curve while emission intensities decreased with increasing per-capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) following a nearly linear pattern when log-transformed. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study conducted a life-cycle carbon assessment of the steel industry in China. • Carbon emissions of various phases from the steel industry were compared. • CO 2 emission intensity of crude steel in China reached 2.33 tCO 2 /t. • Optimized power structure and increased scrap ratio showed similar carbon reduction. China is the most important steel producer in the world, and its steel industry is one of the most carbon-intensive industries in China. Consequently, research on carbon emissions from the steel industry is crucial for China to achieve carbon neutrality and meet its sustainable global development goals. We constructed a carbon dioxide (CO 2) emission model for China's iron and steel industry from a life cycle perspective, conducted an empirical analysis based on data from 2019, and calculated the CO 2 emissions of the industry throughout its life cycle. Key emission reduction factors were identified using sensitivity analysis. The results demonstrated that the CO 2 emission intensity of the steel industry was 2.33 ton CO 2 /ton, and the production and manufacturing stages were the main sources of CO 2 emissions, accounting for 89.84% of the total steel life-cycle emissions. Notably, fossil fuel combustion had the highest sensitivity to steel CO 2 emissions, with a sensitivity coefficient of 0.68, reducing the amount of fossil fuel combustion by 20% and carbon emissions by 13.60%. The sensitivities of power structure optimization and scrap consumption were similar, while that of the transportation structure adjustment was the lowest, with a sensitivity coefficient of less than 0.1. Given the current strategic goals of peak carbon and carbon neutrality, it is in the best interest of the Chinese government to actively promote energy-saving and low-carbon technologies, increase the ratio of scrap steel to steelmaking, and build a new power system. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses a novel strategy to enhance the accuracy and reliability of direct yaw-moment controller for vehicle directional stability. In the proposed method, some complementary terms are added to the bicycle model, as a reduced-order vehicle model to upgrade its content toward the actual model. The controller designed by the enhanced bicycle model compensates for perturbations such as unmodelled dynamics, parametric uncertainties and wind forces. Therefore, a reliable model-based controller is achieved to control vehicle directional stability in various maneuvers. The limitations of external yaw moment are modeled using a constrained optimization problem. Simulation studies are conducted in the CarSim software considering detailed vehicle dynamics and wind forces. The results demonstrate the superior efficiency of the constrained controller, developed by the enhanced bicycle model, compared with the researches in which the perturbation is not estimated for being used by the controller. During a severe lane-change maneuver, for instance, estimating the disparities between the bicycle model and the CarSim model causes the root mean square of the yaw rate tracking error to decrease from 0.237 to 0.005 )rad(. Importantly, the calculated external yaw moment is also reduced from 980.13 to 557.4 )N.m). In another path tracking test, a comparison with the linear quadratic method, indicates 74% reduction in the RMS of the yaw rate tracking error and 19% reduction in the RMS of the control effort. The obtained results imply that the proposed controller can remarkably improve the tracking accuracy with much lower control efforts through estimating the model perturbations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of underground mining, the steel props within the coal face are frequently not fully salvaged, resulting in a low recovery rate. At the present time, approximately 60% of coal mining is conducted through underground methods. Consequently, there is a growing number of mechanical roof supports that utilize steel props. Furthermore, as the raw materials for the manufacture of these props are becoming increasingly scarce, it is of paramount importance to recover steel supports from unused mine shafts and those situated along coal seams. However, the recovery process is beset with numerous challenges due to the complex geological conditions and the arduous and perilous nature of the work, which has resulted in a dearth of attention to prop recovery in these areas during the coal mining process. Phase 2 software from Rock science was employed to ascertain the impact of the dismantling equipment on the mining excavation. Therefore, this paper presents a technical solution to enhance the efficiency of the steel prop recovery process in these shafts by utilizing a combination of hydraulic and mechanical structures to form a cohesive equipment setup for effective recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent control systems developed for production facilities significantly contribute to production efficiency and quality. Using intelligent control systems has now become a necessity in iron and steel sintering plants that produce millions of tonnes annually. Automatic control of the sinter machine speed, which directly affects production efficiency and quality, is one of the first issues to be addressed. The complexity of the sintering process, being affected by many variables, and the nonlinearity of these variables make it difficult to control the machine speed. This study demonstrates that we have overcome this challenge using a fuzzy logic controller (FLC), which is optimized with an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). The FLC we have designed operates with the characteristic point of the thermal state, the mixture level, the vacuum average, and the current speed parameters. We achieved an average success rate of 95%. The developed system automatically controls the speed of the sinter machine with high accuracy, independent of the operator. The system we have developed is used continuously at the Iskenderun Iron & Steel Co. sinter plant. The results obtained from the production facility show that the developed system captures the thermal change in the sinter pallet and manages the machine accordingly, increases the sintering efficiency by at least 10%, and ensures process safety. These results revealed that the developed system can be used effectively in the iron and steel industry and the use of the system will increase efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a significant increase in the development of new composite materials with desirable mechanical, thermal or surface properties has been observed. One of the popular polymers on the market is polylactide. This article explores how to modify the polymer using steel fibres and organosilicon compounds (SSQ-SH, SSQ-SH-OCT, and SSQ-SH-OFP) to enhance its properties. Test samples were obtained by injection molding with varying concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2.5%, and 5% of steel fibres. Mechanical tests, including tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength, were conducted, along with an analysis of the contact angle. The modified samples showed higher impact strength values, with the PLA /steel fibres /SSQ-SH sample seeing an increase of 12%. The addition of modifiers with fluoroalkyl groups led to a contact angle increase of 8.5% compared to neat PLA. Thermal tests (TGA) were also carried out to determine the influence of fibres and organosilicon compounds on decomposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates hydrogen’s potential to accelerate the energy transition in hard-to-abate sectors, such as steel, petrochemicals, glass, cement, and paper. The goal is to assess how hydrogen, produced from renewable sources, can foster both industrial decarbonization and the expansion of renewable energy installations, especially solar and wind. Hydrogen’s dual role as a fuel and a chemical agent for process innovation is explored, with a focus on its ability to enhance energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. Integrating hydrogen with continuous industrial processes minimizes the need for energy storage, making it a more efficient solution. Advances in electrolysis, achieving efficiencies up to 60%, and storage methods, consuming about 10% of stored energy for compression, are discussed. Specifically, in the steel sector, hydrogen can replace carbon as a reductant in the direct reduced iron (DRI) process, which accounts for around 7% of global steel production. A next-generation DRI plant producing one million tons of steel annually would require approximately 3200 MW of photovoltaic capacity to integrate hydrogen effectively. This study also discusses hydrogen’s role as a co-fuel in steel furnaces. Quantitative analyses show that to support typical industrial plants, hydrogen facilities of several hundred to a few thousand MW are necessary. “Virtual” power plants integrating with both the electrical grid and energy-intensive systems are proposed highlighting hydrogen’s critical role in industrial decarbonization and renewable energy growth.

Introduction: The present research was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between the establishment of safety, health and environment management system on the performance of coking complex employees and refineries of Iranian Zarand Steel Company. Therefore, at first, the dimensions and issues of establishing the safety, health and environment management system and the performance of employees were identified, and then the relationships between the identified variables were presented. Materials and Methods: Two standard questionnaires were used to collect data related to the measurement of research variables, which in total include 2 structures, 3 dimensions, and 20 questions. The content validity method was used to check the validity of the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated as 0.863, which indicated the reliability of the questionnaire. The statistical population of this research includes the employees and experts of Iranian Zarand Steel Company. After ensuring the validity and reliability of the designed scales based on the calculations, the questionnaires were distributed to a sample of 260 people. To check the demographic data, descriptive statistics, K-S test to determine the normality of the data using SPSS24 software, to determine the construct validity using the confirmatory factor analysis test and for the relationships between the variables using the structural equation model using statistical software 3 SMART-PLS was performed. Results: The establishment of the safety, health and environment management system on the performance of employees with a factor load of 0.623 and the T-statistic of the test 9.803, as well as the safety, health and environment management system on the dimensions of employee performance, including increasing knowledge and quality of work, a better relationship with Colleagues, improvement of individual characteristics, development of skills and better supervision, improvement of creativity and improvement of customer orientation of Zarand Iranian Steel Company with factor loading of 0.555, 0.664, 0.430, 0.436, 0.424 and 0.461 respectively and the T-statistics of the test have a significant relationship of 8.086, 12.337, 5.069, 5.792, 5.055 and 6.629. Conclusion: The findings show that the establishment of the HSE management system has a significant effect on the performance of employees and its dimensions, including the quality of occupational health and safety rules, practical compliance with the law, management and cooperation, workplace processes, the use of personal protective equipment and empowering the behavior of managers and employees.

Numerical fluid simulations using the Reynolds stress model and water model experiments are conducted to test different designs of tundish turbulence inhibitors (A, B, C, D, and E) for their effectiveness in removing nonmetallic inclusions from steel. The results reveal a unique flow pattern, with a mushroom‐like shape forming around the entry jet. The acceleration of small eddies within this mushroom is a significant factor in inclusion removal. This discovery has practical implications for the steel industry, leading to a longer residence time in the entry jet mushroom and improved inclusion flotation performance. Additionally, the turbulent kinematic viscosity and Reynolds stress fields in the flow mushroom influence the tracer's local dispersion rate and the interactions of the inclusions in this region. These findings are further validated using a tundish water model to track the dynamics of amine particles injected into the ladle shroud, enhancing their practical relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing expectations are being placed on green hydrogen-based steel for decarbonising the global steel industry. However, the scale of the expected demand is dispersed across numerous case studies, resulting in a fragmented picture. This study examines 28 existing scenarios to provide a cohesive view of future global demand. In the short term, the demand for green hydrogen-based steel is expected to be limited, constituting 2% of current total steel production by 2030. However, a transformation phase is expected around 2040, marked by accelerated growth. By 2050, global demand is projected to reach 660 Mt (with an interquartile range of 368–1000 Mt), equivalent to 35% (19%–53%) of current total steel production. To meet such growing demand, green hydrogen supply and electrolyser capacity will need to increase to more than 1000 times current levels by 2050. These trends highlight both short-term limitations and long-term potential. Decarbonisation efforts will therefore require immediate emission reductions with already scalable options, while simultaneously building the enabling infrastructure for green hydrogen-based steelmaking to ensure long-term impacts. [Display omitted] • Analysis of 28 scenarios provides an integrated view of global green steel demand. • Short-term demand is expected to be limited, with an estimate of ∼35 Mt by 2030. • Long-term prospects indicate significant growth, potentially reaching ∼660 Mt by 2050. • Significant scale-up of green hydrogen supply and electrolyser capacity is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rolling oil sludge (ROS) is a type of solid waste produced during steel rolling; this waste contains not only a high iron content but also many harmful organic components and is a very attractive secondary resource. This paper introduces the sources and hazards of ROS, summarizes the recycling methods integrated with steel production, classifies traditional treatment technologies, and analyzes their advantages and disadvantages. Combined treatment is the main direction of ROS treatment methods in the future. The ROS recycling techniques applied in different industries are summarized. Finally, existing problems and future work are described to promote the remediation and resource utilization of ROS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution is recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases; however, the precise underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the impact of occupational air pollution exposure on endothelial function in workers within the steel industry. Specifically, we examined male employees in the cokemaking division of the Isfahan Steel Company in Iran, as well as those in administrative roles with no known history of cardiovascular risk. Data on age, body mass index, duration of employment, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, and lipid profile were collected. To assess endothelial function, flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was measured. The baseline brachial artery diameter was greater (mean difference [95% CI] = 0.068 mm [0.008 to 0.128]), while the FMD was lower (mean difference [95% CI] = -0.908 % [-1.740 to -0.075]) in the cokemaking group than in the control group. After controlling for potential confounding variables, it was observed that working in the coke-making sector of the industry was associated with lower FMD (F = 3.954, p = .049). These findings indicated that occupational air pollution exposure among workers in the steel industry is linked to impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steel-making and continuous casting (SCC) processes are considered the main bottlenecks in the steel industry. We consider planning and scheduling problems in SCC processes and provide an overview of the literature with our commentary. The planning problem has as goal to create out of customer orders production units for the various production processes. The scheduling problem assigns these production units to the production facilities over different time intervals. We review a large number of planning and scheduling papers and propose two basic models for the planning and the scheduling problems that incorporate the most common and essential features. We describe for each problem the respective constraints and objectives as well as the practical implications in an actual production environment. We also analyse the methodologies used in their solutions, including decomposition strategies. In the last section, we present the conclusions of our survey and propose new research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the findings of research on the European steel industry as it transitions toward Industry 4.0. Drawing on data generated through semi-structured interviews, the authors reflect on the distinction between routine and non-routine work which has informed much recent research on technology effects on jobs. First, they propose to distinguish between 'deterministic' and 'probabilistic' technological approaches, the latter illustrative of the Industry 4.0 model and characterised by the use of algorithms and statistical learning. Next, the authors maintain that jobs that have been labelled as 'routine' may entail a range of tasks that Industry 4.0 technologies remain unable to entirely automatise, which has led to broadening skillsets and a prominence acquired by transversal skills. Hence, the authors suggest overcoming the routine/non-routine dichotomy and deterministic assumptions on workers' substitution in favour of a continuum-based conceptualisation of tasks and a more nuanced investigation of technology effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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There has been a rising interest in the iron and steel industry in replacing fossil-based carbon carriers in their processes because they are the main origin of the anthropogenic carbon emissions within the industry. The use of bio-based carbon carriers could be one solution to partly tackle this challenge. Conventionally, biocarbon is produced by pyrolysis with fixed heating rate, pyrolysis temperature, and retention time. Although the mechanisms behind the formation of biocarbon and the decomposition temperatures of the main compounds of biomass-based materials are known, this knowledge is rarely being utilized in the design of commercial pyrolysis reactors, even though the pyrolysis mechanism-based approach increases the biocarbon yield. In this study, the mechanistic pathway of carbonization of lignocellulosic biomass is taken into account to produce biocarbon with higher yield and quality than conventional pyrolysis with the same process time. Results show that when the process time is the same in both methods, segmented pyrolysis increases biocarbon yield up to 5.4% within a pyrolysis temperature range from 300 °C to 900 °C. Also, fixed carbon yield increased 1.5% in this temperature area. When using segmented pyrolysis, the most suitable pyrolysis temperature is 700 °C based on the characteristics of the produced biocarbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steel slag is the main by-product of the steel industry and can be used to produce steel slag fine aggregate (SSFA). SSFA can be used as a fine aggregate in mortar or concrete. However, SSFA contains f-CaO, which is the main reason for the expansion damage of mortar and concrete. In this study, the carbonation treatment of SSFA was adopted to reduce the f-CaO content; the influence of the carbonation time on the content of f-CaO in the SSFA was studied; and the effects of the carbonated SSFA replacement ratio on the expansion rate, mechanical properties and carbonation depth of mortar were investigated through tests. The results showed that as the carbonation time increased, the content of f-CaO in the SSFA gradually decreased. Compared to the mortar specimens with carbonated SSFA, the specimens with uncarbonated SSFA showed faster and more severe damage and a higher expansion rate. When the replacement ratio of carbonated SSFA was less than 45%, the carbonated SSFA had an inhibitory effect on the expansion development of the specimens. The compressive strengths of the specimens with a carbonated SSFA replacement ratio of 60% and 45% were 1.29% and 6.81% higher than those of the specimens with an uncarbonated SSFA replacement ratio of 60% and 45%, respectively. Carbonation treatment could improve the replacement ratio of SSFA while ensuring the compressive strength of specimens. Compared with mortar specimens with uncarbonated SSFA, the anti-carbonation performance of mortar specimens with carbonated SSFA was reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating innovation and environmental responsibility has become important in pursuing sustainable industrial practices in the contemporary world. These twin imperatives have stimulated research into developing methods that optimize industrial processes, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness while mitigating undesirable ecological impacts. This objective is exemplified by the emergence of biochar derived from the thermo-chemical transformation of biomass. This review examines biochar production methods and their potential applications across various aspects of the iron and steel industries (ISI). The technical, economic, and sustainable implications of integrating biochar into the ISI were explored. Slow pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization are the most efficient methods for higher biochar yield (25–90%). Biochar has several advantages- higher heating value (30–32 MJ/kg), more porosity (58.22%), and significantly larger surface area (113 m2/g) compared to coal and coke. However, the presence of biochar often reduces fluidity in a coal-biochar mixture. The findings highlighted that biochar production and implementation in ISI often come with higher costs, primarily due to the higher expense of substitute fuels compared to traditional fossil fuels. The economic viability and societal desirability of biochar are highly uncertain and vary significantly based on factors such as location, feedstock type, production scale, and biochar pricing, among others. Furthermore, biomass and biochar supply chain is another important factor which determines its large scale implementation. Despite these challenges, there are opportunities to reduce emissions from BF-BOF operations by utilizing biochar technologies. Overall, the present study explored integrating diverse biochar production methods into the ISI aiming to contribute to the ongoing research on sustainable manufacturing practices, underscoring their significance in shaping a more environmentally conscious future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To enhance the quality of oolitic iron ore extracted from the Gara Djebillet mine in southern Algeria by reducing the levels of silicon, aluminum, and phosphorus, thus making it more suitable for use in the steel industry. Methodology. The study involves pre-treating the Gara Djebillet iron ore through roasting, followed by two stages of leaching with separate acid and base leaching steps. Additionally, the impact of introducing an additional roasting step at 800 °C between the two leaching stages is examined. Findings. Chemical leaching of the raw ore without roasting pre-treatment results in a reduction in silicon, aluminum, and phosphorus contents from 4.45, 5.11 and 0.61 % to 2.68, 3.36 and 0.3 %, respectively. However, the iron content decreases from 52.42 to 45 %. Pre-treating the ore with roasting combined with the two leaching stages reduces the phosphorus content to 0.15 % and increases the iron content to 55.25 %. The silicon and aluminum contents decrease to 4.2 and 5 %, respectively. Introducing a second roasting step between the two leaching stages further decreases the phosphorus content to 0.15 %, but the iron content only increases to 54.25 % after the second acid leaching step. The aluminum and silicon contents increase to 4.5 and 5.3 %, respectively. Originality. This study introduces a novel approach to improving the quality of oolitic iron ore by investigating the efficacy of pre-treatment with roasting followed by two stages of leaching. The research contributes valuable insights into the effectiveness of these methods for reducing undesirable elements in iron ore. Practical value. The findings offer practical implications for the steel industry, suggesting potential methods for enhancing the quality of iron ore from the Gara Djebillet mine. Implementing these methods could lead to increased efficiency and cost-effectiveness in iron ore processing, ultimately benefiting steel production processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to evaluate for the first time the degree of contamination of soil and crops with major and trace elements (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, F, Na, Mg, Si, P, Cl, Fe, Al) in agricultural lands situated in the Lower Danube Basin, Galati and Braila counties (SE Romania), impacted by the steel industry. Soil samples, as well as leaves and seeds of wheat, corn, and sunflower, were collected from two depths in 11 different sites. Along with elemental and mineralogical analyses, performed by HR-CS AAS, PIGE, SEM-EDX, and ATR-FTIR, the soil pH, texture, organic matter, electric conductivity, and CaCO3 content were investigated. The results showed that the levels of Cr (83.27–383.10 mg kg−1), Cu (17.11–68.15 mg kg−1), Ni (30.16–55.66 mg kg−1), and F (319–544 mg kg−1) in soil exceeded the Romanian regulations for sensitive use of the land. Igeo, EF, PI, and PERI pollution indices indicate that the soil is moderate to highly contaminated with Cr, Ni, and Cu, while the CSI and mERMQ indices suggested a relatively low risk for metal contamination. The elemental concentrations in plant tissues and bioaccumulation factors (BFs) provide valuable insights into the soil–plant relationship, health risks, and the selectivity of plant compartments for different elements. Thus, the results revealed that the wheat plants tended to exclude the bioaccumulation of particular elements in their tissues, while exhibiting a different bioaccumulation pattern for Zn and Cu. In the case of corn, most BFs were below one, indicating a limited phytoaccumulation capacity. However, exceptions were observed for Cd, Zn, and Cu with the sunflower BFs indicating higher bioconcentration of these elements in leaves and seeds compared to other elements. Chromium (Cr) contributes to non-carcinogenic dermal contact and ingestion hazards, children being more susceptible to the adverse effects of this contaminant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The steel industry, crucial to the global economy, grapples with critical sustainable challenges, including high energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and non-renewable resource utilization, making sustainability imperative for upholding its economic role without compromising the planet or societal well-being. This study proposes a framework aimed at advancing sustainability in the steel industry through the articulation of the triple helix sectors (university, industry, and government). Based on the integrative review scientific method, systematic selection, interpretation, and synthesis of information from various sources were carried out to map a technical-scientific scenario of sustainability in the steel industry. This scenario informed benchmarking which, in light of the scientific theory and the authors' expertise, enabled the proposition of customized actions aimed at the triple helix actors. The main theoretical-scientific contribution lies in deepening and expanding the knowledge that connects sustainability to the steel industry, thus reinforcing the basis for future research and empirical studies. As for the managerial-applied contribution, this work can guide universities in developing sustainable projects and establishing industrial partnerships; steel companies benefit from the best practices and technologies, while also achieving regulatory compliance; and governments can promote public policies that boost sustainability in the steel sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metallurgical sector is one of the most emission- and energy-intensive industries. The possibility of using fossil carbon substitutes has been investigated to reduce the environmental impact of the steelmaking sector. Among others, biochar emerged as a promising fossil coal/coke substitute. We conducted a literature review on biochar use in the metallurgical sector and its potential environmental benefits. The possibility for biochar as a coal/coke substitute is influenced by the source of biochar production and the process within which it can be used. In general, it has been observed that substitution of biochar ranging from a minimum of 5% to a maximum of 50% (mostly around 20–25%) is possible without affecting, or in some cases improving, the process, in coke making, iron sintering, blast furnaces and electric furnaces application. In some studies, the potential CO2 reduction due to biochar use was estimated, ranging from 5% to about 50%. Despite there still being an area of further investigation, biochar appeared as a promising resource with a variety of uses in the metallurgical sector, contributing to the lowering of the environmental impact of the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing CO 2 emissions of the iron and steel industry, a typical heavy CO 2 -emitting sector, is the only way that must be passed to achieve the 'dual-carbon' goal, especially in China. In previous studies, however, it is still unknown what is the difference between blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF), scrap-electric furnace (scrap-EF) and hydrogen metallurgy process. The quantitative research on the key factors affecting CO 2 emissions is insufficient. There is also a lack of research on the prediction of CO 2 emissions by adjusting industrial structure. Based on material flow analysis, this study establishes carbon flow diagrams of three processes, and then analyze the key factors affecting CO 2 emissions. CO 2 emissions of the iron and steel industry in the future is predicted by adjusting industrial structure. The results show that: (1) The CO 2 emissions of BF-BOF, scrap-EF and hydrogen metallurgy process in a site are 1417.26, 542.93 and 1166.52 kg, respectively. (2) By increasing pellet ratio in blast furnace, scrap ratio in electric furnace, etc., can effectively reduce CO 2 emissions. (3) Reducing the crude steel output is the most effective CO 2 reduction measure. There is still 5.15 × 108-6.17 × 108 tons of CO 2 that needs to be reduced by additional measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

:To promote the resource utiiization of zinccontaining metallurgical dust and sludge in ron and steel industry, the zinccontaining metallurgccal dust and sludge with ron content of 30. 38% and zinc content of 4. 79% was studed by microwave reduction roasting-magnetic separaiion test. The experimental resutts show that t is difficult to reaize the effective separation of zinc and ron in Yin--containing metallurgccal dust and sludge by direct magneto separation wrthout roasting and convenional muffle furnace reduction roasting-magnetic separaion. When the microwave muffle furnace roasiing at 700 C for 15 min. The main phase in the roasted product Is Fe. When the magnetic field intenstty of the roasted product Is 150 mT,the zinc and ron in the zinccontaining metallurgccal dust can achieve better separaion. The concentrate index obtained by magnetic separation:the zinc content Is 2. 73%,the ron content Is 57. 84%, the ron recovery rate ss 88. 67%, tailings index of magneic separaion: the ron content Is 9.54%, the zinc content ss 9. 85 %, the zinc recovery rate Is 61. 72%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last 20 years, China's steel production has proliferated, leading to increased environmental damage by releasing 574,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), 1,114,000 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), and 897,000 tons of particulate matter (PM) in 2020; therefore, the country is now struggling to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change because of the conflicting demands of economic growth and environmental protection. Given the global emphasis on decarbonization and sustainable production, China has prioritized achieving peak carbon emissions of 30% by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Likewise, China's steel industry is progressing toward attaining the maximum carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2025. This study reveals that despite a 321 Mt increase in global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2022, CO2 emissions in China experienced a decline of 230 Mt during the same period. Notwithstanding enacting several pertinent statutes and directives, China's iron and steel sector has not advanced substantially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morocco has made a concerted effort in previous years to produce renewable energy to meet market demand while protecting the environment and opening the route for circular economy. By-product from steel and iron industries in Morocco that employ electric arc furnace to produce steel is the focus of the present paper. It aims to study the possibility of using by-product "Electric Arc Furnace Slag" issued from Moroccan steel and iron industry as high-temperature sensible thermal energy storage material for the benefit of the same industry. In first, a fully characterization of the selected by-product has been performed. As a result, the filler material showed great thermophysical properties in terms of densities, thermal capacity, thermal diffusivity, and thermal conductivity. The bulk and skeletal densities are of around 3477.64 and 3913.9 kg m−3, respectively. The thermal capacity ranges between 0.3 and 0.85 kJ kg−1 K−1 for as-received by-product and from 0.6 to 0.9 kJ kg−1 K−1 for the by-product after thermal cycling. Its crystallographic structure and morphology remain similar to the one of EAF-slag studied in open literature. Thereafter, the material stability and suitability for high-temperature (up to 700 °C) thermal energy storage have been highlighted. The characteristics of EAF-slag after thermal cycling and isothermal study were compared to those of raw EAF-slag. Accordingly, the filler material is stable and able to store thermal energy at high temperatures. Equally important, thermal cycling impacts positively the filler material. Thanks to the oxidation to magnetite, the energy density of EAF-slag increases. More importantly, the material becomes more stable by exhibiting less than 1% of mass loss. Yet, few cracks were observed inside the cycled material. The investigation revealed that the fast-heating rate (superior to 5 °C min−1) is the main responsible. As a result, the authors recommend a slow heating rate especially for the first heating cycles of this by-product (around 2 °C min−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]