In Nov. 1999 SvMet Engineering was called in at Iscor Vanderbijlpark works to solve a very serious problem of surface quality of finished product. Among the big changes that SvMet Engineering implemented was the SIFC Process which greatly improved the steel cleanliness and castability of liquid steel.

 

Since then SvMet Engineering has upgraded and improved the SIFC with great success. By May 2001 the 1st Software version was installed and the results [shown in the figure 1 below] were very impressive and help Iscor to resolve this big crisis of that time.

 

By 2003 the new Iscor management decided to upgrade the whole BOF steel plant with a new software tool provided by VAI. This new “giant” software tool comprises metallurgical models for hot metal treatment, BOF and LF operation as well as CCM process control. SvMet Engineering was called in to implement the new version of SIFC integrated into the VAI new software tool. Iscor recongnized that SvMet Engineering had the best technology for steel cleanliness. SvMet had at that time to follow strict VAI specification.

 

By November 2004 the SIFC process was successfully implemented and integrated into the VAI tool.

Thanks to this new software and integration to VAI large software tool the main characteristics of using SIFC were kept and these remain as:

• High Inclusion Absorption (See Figure 1).

• High Sulfide Capacity.

• Virtually zero Nitrogen Pick Up at tap.

• Rapid Slag Formation.

• Low Al Consumption.

• A very large "improvement" of castability. This is very well illustrated in the figure at the bottom of this page