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Steel’s way ahead

June 01, 2008 - 00:00 GMT

Efforts to modernise steel technologies today encompass every aspect of the industry, from raw materials to environmental impact, and advanced software to quality control. MBM reviews some developments across the sector.

The new coke? Carbonyx is a Texas-based company founded eight years ago to make added-value carbon-based products from a patented process. It has introduced Cokonyx™, which it describes as an economically viable and environmentally responsible replacement for traditional coke in steelmaking and other metallurgical processes. Cokonyx is formed from coal as a base material, but this is blended with a range of other carbonaceous materials at various points in the synthesis process. Standard coke for ironmaking can only be made from high-quality metallurgical coal mined in certain parts of the world, and its price has been soaring. BHP Billiton recently secured a price increase of over 200% for a coking coal contract with Nippon Steel, at $300/tonne. One steelmaker that is showing faith in Cokonyx is US Steel, which announced in April that it was investing over $150m to build a production facility in Port of Epes, Alabama. After the...

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