It was reported recently from TISCO Technology Center that after years of research and practice, TISCO has successfully used carbon dioxide gas instead of Argon in steel making process and achieved multiple effects, including reducing the expensive Argon consumption, increasing waste gas recovery and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, with a result of efficiency increase that is equivalent to more than RMB 15 million Yuan. Argon, as an important process medium for stainless steel and carbon steel smelting, is mainly used for bottom blowing stirring and bottom tuyere cooling in AOD and BOF converter smelting. At present, the international mainstream smelting process is "ladle Argon blowing refining" process. The main function of Argon is to boil and refine the liquid steel by controlling the pressure and time of Argon blowing, so as to achieve the purposes of homogenizing the chemical composition and temperature of molten steel, accelerating chemical reaction, removing harmful gases and inclusions, purifying molten steel, etc.

As an integrated stainless steel producer, TISCO consumes much more Argon than general carbon steel producers. Effectively reducing argon consumption is critical to reduce production cost in steelmaking process. In order to achieve the "dual carbon" goal, researchers of the Technology Center focused on improving energy utilization efficiency and promoting green and low-carbon sustainable development, and actively practiced China Baowu's green and low-carbon metallurgy development strategy. As early as 2018, they took the lead in domestic research on partial substitution of Argon by carbon dioxide in steelmaking process, and systematically studied the decarburization rate, molten pool temperature and lining erosion of carbon dioxide gas in steelmaking process, so as to realize internal recycling of carbon dioxide gas produced by the company itself, thereby reducing smelting costs and promoting low-carbon emissions.

On the basis of a large number of scientific research experiments, TISCO independently developed the top & bottom combined blowing control technology using carbon dioxide instead of Argon to smelt stainless steel and carbon steel, which reduced the Argon consumption in smelting of ultra-pure ferritic stainless steel by 25% and completely replaced Argon in carbon steel smelting. Since June of 2020, carbon dioxide has replaced Argon in mass production. By February this year, a total of 21,000 tons of carbon dioxide gas has been used, saving the company from purchasing 19,000 tons of Argon. By reducing Argon consumption, increasing gas recovery, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the new technology has made remarkable contribution to realizing recycling of carbon dioxide, turning waste into energy and resource, and helping steel players to achieve the "dual carbon" goal.

TISCO will resolutely implement the deployment of the state and China Baowu, match the macro strategy to TISCO’s actual situation, consciously assume the responsibility of environmental protection, voluntarily shoulder the mission of industrial innovation, make full use of its advantages in the stainless steel field, pursuit the great Chinese dream, and contribute its scientific and technological innovation strength to China Baowu’s prospect of building a world-class great enterprise.