Commendation: Productivity and innovation - Resources sector

Liberty Primary Steel (LPS) Whyalla is a producer of high quality semi-finished and finished steel products that find application in Australia as well as export markets internationally.

Project: Slag-free tapping

Premier's Award category: Innovation and transformation (productivity improvement) - Resources

Slag-free tapping is an initiative that has reduced the amount of slag carried over to downstream processes by applying new technologies, automation, and lean methodologies to detect and then reduce slag carryover.

Basic Oxygen Steelmaking (BOS) is the part of the value creation supply chain that processes hot metal (pig iron) into high-quality steel by treating the product with high pressure oxygen whilst adding alloys and fluxes to achieve the desired chemistry.

Slag formation is a part of this transformation and managing the slag is a key consideration of the process control.

Bad quality slag or excessive slag can lead to yield losses, refractory erosion, additional handling, and other inefficiencies. Slag-free tapping has reduced the amount of slag carried over to downstream processes by applying new technologies, automation, and lean methodologies to detect and then reduce slag carryover.

Limiting slag carryover via slag-free tapping realises an annualised conversion cost saving of  $9million in improved yield, reduced refractory costs and improved alloy recoveries.

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