In steel rolling production, reheating furnaces are essential for heating billets before rolling. But during this process, something unavoidable happens: oxidation.
When steel billets are heated to over 1150°C, the surface reacts with oxygen in the furnace atmosphere. This creates oxide scale, which leads to material loss known as oxidation loss.
In many steel plants, oxidation loss during reheating can reach about 1.5%.
That may sound small, but consider this:
A steel mill producing 2 million tons of steel per year could lose around 30,000 tons annually due to oxidation.
That’s a massive cost.
What Causes Oxidation in Reheating Furnaces?
Several factors accelerate oxidation during billet heating:
High heating temperature
Above 1150°C, oxidation reactions increase rapidly.
Long furnace residence time
Every extra hour in the furnace can increase oxidation loss.
Oxidizing furnace atmosphere
Too much excess air increases oxygen concentration and speeds up oxidation.
Billet surface condition
Rust, impurities, and rough surfaces increase the reaction area with oxygen.
How Steel Plants Reduce Oxidation Loss
Modern rolling mills are using several strategies to control oxidation:
Optimizing heating temperatures
Lowering billet temperature while maintaining rolling quality.
Improving furnace atmosphere control
Better burner calibration and air-fuel ratio adjustment.
Optimizing rolling pass schedules
Reducing billet residence time in the furnace.
Cleaning and polishing billet surfaces
Removing rust and impurities before heating.
Improving furnace automation and operation
Optimizing billet charging gaps and discharge timing.
Why Oxidation Control Matters
Reducing oxidation loss brings major benefits for steel producers:
l Higher steel yield
l Better surface quality
l Lower production costs
l Higher furnace efficiency
l More stable rolling operations
In modern steel manufacturing, every percentage of yield matters.
Improving reheating furnace control can significantly reduce oxidation loss and improve overall production efficiency.
What strategies does your plant use to control oxidation during billet reheating?
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