The oxygen solubility in the niobium-containing ironnickel melts has been experimentally studied at 1823 K using the Fe – 40  %  Ni alloy as an example. It was shown that niobium decreases the oxygen solubility in this melt. The equilibrium constant of interaction of niobium and oxygen dissolved in the Fe – 40  %  Ni melt (lgK(1) (Fe – 40  %  Ni)  =  –4.619), the Gibbs energy of this reaction (  =  161,210  J/mol), and the interaction parameters characterizing these solutions (  =  –0.630;   = –0.105;   = 0.010) were determined. The equilibrium constant of interaction of niobium and oxygen dissolved in the Fe – Ni melts, the Gibbs energy of reaction of niobium and oxygen interaction, and the interaction parameterscharacterizing these solutions were calculated in a wide range of concentrations at 1823 K. Oxygen solubility in the various compositions niobium-containing Fe – Ni melts was determined at 1823 K. With an increase of the nickel content in melt the affinity of niobium to oxygen increases substantially. This is due to the fact that, when the nickel content in melt increases, the bond strengths of oxygen with the melt base weakens 

Thermodynamic option pricing nanoscale particles of refractory phases of Al2O3 and MgO were spent for their introduction into the melt model of Fe – Sn. Preparing technique of a composite material consisting of a mixture of micropowder iron and oxide nanopowders were improved with further obtain extruded composite solid-refining by introducing the composite to the melt. The authors studied the interactions of nanoparticles with a surfactant Sn and investigated hetero phase interaction Al2O3 and MgO with Sn. It was found that the degree of removal of Sn in the Fe – Sn – Al2O3 system was 17.1–22.8 rel. %, and in the Fe – Sn – MgO system – 19.8–24.6 %. It depends on the time of isothermal aging (5–20 min) and the concentration of nanoparticles in the melt (0.06–0.18 wt. %). 

The article considers the peculiarities of the steel refining processes in top and bottom blown converter. Converter operation technology perfection and thermal balance improvement problems are discussed. The authors proposed two out-look versions of control actions: pre-assigned amplitude-frequency characteristics of pulsating gas jets in steelmaking with gas blowing and waste gases post combustion just above metal surface for effective chemical reaction heat transfer. Special blast designs are proposed for implementation of these assignments. 

The purpose of these studies was to find opportunities to provide the mechanical properties of hot-rolled dual-phase steel in the range of strength class DP 450–600 at “NLMK”. In this case decisive role in the formation of the final structure and properties acquires a one-stage cooling strip strategy on the run-out table in the conditions of hot rolling mill 2000 at “NLMK”. The laboratory investigations have been conducted on the influence of hot rolling parameters on the structure and mechanical properties of steel grade SPRC440R, used by “NLMK” for the production of cold-rolled dual-phase steels. The temperature-speed parameters of accelerated cooling on the run-out table of hot-rolling mill 2000 at “NLMK” were calculated by mathematical model in order to realize the rolling experiment. The results of laboratory investigations and the carried out calculations were used for the development and implementation at experimental-industrial rolling conditions. In this article authors give recommendations for the possibility of providing the mechanical properties of hot-rolled dual-phase steel in the range of strength class DP 450–600. 

Calculations of the thermodynamic activity of system components that contains intermetallic chemical compounds according to the model of ideal associated solutions, can be made with the acceptable accuracy on the assumption that the chemical composition and thermodynamic properties of associated compounds are the same as in intermetallic compounds. 

The distribution of phosphorus between gaseous phase and liquid oxide melt was investigated in order to determine the ability of gaseous dephosphorization of oxide melts CaO – SiO2 – MgO – Al2O3 – P2O5. The influence of different factors, such as basicity (CaO/SiO2 ) and CO/CO2 ratio in the barbotage gas, on the distribution of phosphorus between gaseous phase and liquid oxide melt was clarified during the experiments. It was carried out, that the most effective evaporation of phosphorus is observed under condition of basisity B = 0,5. Under the higher basisity the phosphorus evaporation meets difficulties connected with thermodynamics, and when basisity is low (less than 0.5) the oxide melt is too viscous. The calculation of activation energy was carried out. It was obtained empirically as 140 kJ/mol, which corresponds with liquid phase diffusion as a limit stage of process.

The article considers the questions of control scheme with neural optimizer implementation. That optimizer is used for PID-regulator parameters of on-line tuning according to current situation. Three-layer feed-forward neural network was chosen for neural optimizer implementation. That network was on-line trained with the help of back propagation algorithm. The algorithm was modified with several conditions in order to give the neural network the opportunity to consider features of control of heating plants. Energy efficiency estimation of neural optimizer usage for PID-regulator parameters tuning was made during the experiment of cast steel heating in laboratory furnace. Electrical energy saving estimation during the mentioned process was made for control schemes with conventional PID-regulator, PID-regulator with neural optimizer and adaptive PID-regulator, made by Siemens.

The authors suggested the technique of аpplication of velocity fields and contact interaction in the calculation of energy-power parameters based on the analysis of the process of hemming the edges of sheet blanks on presses. The calculation of maximum bending efforts demonstrates the ability to use formulas for engineering calculations. 

The hardening and austenite stability as a result of nitrogen alloying steel type Cr18Ni10 in the temperature range, which is usual for the application of such steels as corrosion-resistant structural heat-resistant and/or cryogenic ones was studied. It is shown that the nitrogen alloying is perspective for strengthening and increasing of stability of austenitic stainless steels. Additional strengthening due to the preliminary cold or warm deformation hardening increases a tendency to the martensite formation under load, which limits the operating temperature of these steels. High-strength non-magnetic nitrogen-alloyed steels on the base of Cr18Ni10 steels containing up to 0.22 % of nitro gen are suitable for cryogenic application of non-deformed articles only. Otherwise, a strain-induced martensite will always be formed in them at temperatures below –70 °С. High strength, ductility and toughness of these steels can be achieved simultaneously only as a result of the trip-effect or fine-grained structure formation. Nitrogen effectively strengthens solid solution in a high-temperature condition. The combination of hot and warm deformation can be used for additional hardening of steels during at thermomechanical treatment, including strain-aging process, which is effective for applications of such steels as heat resistant ones. 

The authors studied the influence of the peculiarities of fabrication technique by rapid solidification of metallic alloy from the melt on the hysteresis magnetic properties (HMP) and the quality of the surface for nearly-zero magnetostrictiveamorphous ribbons with composition Со58Fe5Ni10Si11B16 . It was found that the quenching rate (the linear velocity of quenching disk V) and the cast temperature Тр practically don’t affect on the HMP and on the magnitude of temporary recession of the initial permeability caused by the directional ordering. However, the quality of amorphous ribbons significantly changes: it improves by increasing of quenching rate (velocity V), and quality of ribbons deteriorates by increasing of cast temperature Тр . The authors gave the interpretation of discovered regularities. The conclusion is drawn that in the studied alloy, a “superfi cial” pinning of domain walls, caused by the internal tension which are generated by superficial defects, don’t defi ne the HMP level because of a nearly-zero magnetostriction. In this case these properties are defined by a pinning of domain walls inside the ribbon. 

The authors have investigated aluminum and silicon alloying of Cr – Ni – Mo steels. Quantitative data on undercooling austenite decomposition under bainite transformation temperature range was obtained by magnetometric method. The Avrami equation was adopted for the kinetics of bainite transformation analysis. It was shown that the silicon addition reduces the temperature range of bainite transformation and increases the stability of undercooling austenite. However, long durations of holding may cause decomposition of undercooling austenite by perlitic mechanism. Aluminum in analyzed alloys moves the region of bainite transformation to higher temperatures, at the same time, the incubation period of bainite transformation reduces. Based on obtained data, it is recommended not to use aluminum alloying for massive billets because continuous cooling causes the decrease in despersity of bainite and reduces mechanical properties of bainite alloys. 

High content of FeO in primary slag prevents formation of stable skull thereby increasing the thermal load on the fridges and heat losses. Development of indirect reduction reactions that determine the FeO content in primary slag depends on heat transfer conditions. The purpose of this research was to develop methods of modeling of heat transfer in the peripheral zone of blast furnace. The model was developed using the laws of heat transfer and gas dynamics. It allows to estimate the infl uence of ore load, size distribution of iron materials on development of heat transfer processes and recovery work of the gas flow in blast furnace. 

The phase and chemical composition, structure and microhardness, diffusion of multilayer coatings containing titanium, aluminum and silicon were examined at samples of steel 12Cr18Ni10Ti. It was established that the coating was formed on the basis of intermetallic compounds, carbides and titanium nitrides, as well as a solid solutions of titanium, aluminum, silicon, nickel and chromium in the austenite substrate.