Improving steel quality and decreasing production cost and carbon footprint through raw material management

A thorough raw material selection and blending is essential for achieving a high quality melt at a minimum cost. Residual material from previous production constitute a large part of the material input and a practice where residuals from one steel type is used for producing the same steel type often lead to big stocks of internal scrap. The value of internal scrap is high due to its known alloy content and can, if used optimally, reduce overall production costs Global Warming has put the emissions of CO2 as a main focus point in product ecology. The choice of alloy source and electricity (if possible) is vital for reducing the carbon footprint for stainless steel. This paper discusses possible ways to decrease the capital bound in stock for a stainless steel foundry. Ways to improve quality control of scrap are outlined in order to be able to buy cheaper scrap and reduce the fraction of alloying elements coming from primary alloys.