行业术语
钢铁行业术语
钢铁行业术语帮助您了解钢铁行业。
合金
钢是一种由铁和碳组成（至少其中一种属于金属的化学元素的混合物）的合金。
退火
将钢铁产品重新加热到适当温度，以消除此前加工过程形成的应力并且软化和/或改善切削性能和冷成型属性的热处理工序。
表观钢铁消费量（ASU）
表观钢铁消费量是交货量与净直接出口量相加得出。世界钢铁协会使用公吨作为计量单位。
棒材
通常为扁平、方形、圆形或六边形的一种成品钢材。棒材采用小方坯轧制而成，主要产品有两类：型钢和特种钢。
氧气顶吹转炉炼钢
通过在生铁和废钢混合钢水上方使用喷枪注入氧气，利用氧化过程炼钢的工艺。
贝塞麦炼钢法
经由转炉底部向生铁水吹入空气进行炼钢的工艺。
小方坯
一种横截面为方形、面积在155毫米 x 155毫米的半成品钢材。这种产品经过轧制或先连铸后轧制后，可取得线材、型钢以及其他型钢等成品产品。横截面在155毫米x 155毫米以上的半成品被称为大方坯.
毛坯
高尺寸精度薄钢板，拥有简单或复杂外形，有时厚度不一，是汽车车身的主要材料。
高炉
从铁矿石中熔炼铁时使用的一种熔炉。
大方坯
参见“小方坯”。
突破性技术
有别于传统的高炉、直接还原铁或电炉技术，突破性技术以完全不同的方式生产低碳排放钢材。目前正在开发的突破性技术包括：氢还原技术、CCS应用技术、铁矿石电解技术、碳捕获、利用和存储成套技术（CCUS）以及其他新的冶炼还原工艺等。
无碳
钢很难用无碳来形容，因为不含碳的钢就是铁，为了达到特定批次钢所需的性能，需要精确控制钢的含碳量。在炼钢过程中，需要将碳添加到氢还原铁中，才能将其转化为钢。
碳中和钢（净零碳钢）
如果钢材生产时排放到大气中的温室气体与利用碳汇设施从大气中收集的排放物能够取得平衡，那么这种钢材就可以被称作“净零碳钢”或“碳中和钢”。为实现真正意义的碳中和，“净零碳钢”的生产可能需要在其他部门进行抵偿。如果生产企业认为自己实现了碳中和，那么就要保证自己生产边界的透明、统计方法系的透明以及所采用的抵偿办法的高质量和高可信度。
碳钢
一种由碳构成主要合金元素的钢材。
渗碳
指使碳原子渗入到钢表面层的过程，从而获得表层高碳 ，且具有高硬度和耐磨性。
铸造
通过熔炼的金属液体浇注入铸型内，经冷却凝固获得所需形状的制作过程。
洁净钢
“洁净钢”是钢铁行业使用的一个术语，指含有较低水平杂质、氧化物、掺杂物的钢材，或者含有较低或超低水平金属溶解碳的钢材。这个词已经普遍使用，世界钢铁协会曾在2004年《洁净钢生产工艺技术》中使用，并且含义特定。因此，在气候变化背景下，世界钢铁协会没有使用“洁净钢”一词。
煤炭
长流程钢铁企业使用的主要燃料。
涂镀
通过镀锌等各种方法，为材料的外表面覆盖一层保护层。
卷材
在轧制过后，被盘绕或缠绕起来的钢板或钢带等成品钢材。
焦炭
一种碳化煤在高炉燃烧中将铁矿石球团或含铁矿石还原转化为金属铁。
炼焦炉
一种用来提炼焦炭的火炉。煤炭通常通过炉顶开口落入炉内，然后通过焦炉群墙体烟道内的燃烧气体进行加热。在加热大约18个小时后，端门打开，推杆将焦炭推入熄焦车冷却；冷却后，再输送到高炉。
冷轧
用热轧钢卷为原料，经酸洗去除氧化皮后进行冷连轧（低于金属的软化温度）。与热轧相比，冷轧可让产品更薄、更平滑，还可增加强度。
连铸
一种成根出钢而非单独出锭的钢材固化工艺。钢水被倒入开底式水冷铸模。随着钢水通过铸模，外壳开始固化。
CRC
冷轧卷材（参见“冷轧”）
粗钢
经过熔炼后，首次以固体形态出现的钢材，可深加工或出售。与“原钢”同义。
直接还原
指在低于熔化温度之下将铁矿石还原成海绵铁的炼铁生产过程。该工序不需要使用高炉。
电弧炉
用大功率电弧产生的热量熔化废钢的熔炉。在熔化过程中，加入元素以实现正确的化学反应，氧气吹入炉内净化钢。
电工钢
专门制造的含硅钢的冷轧薄板和带材，经过加工以形成一定的磁特性，以供电气工业使用。
绿色钢材
许多团体也在使用和阐述“绿色钢材”，通常在营销环保意识更强的新款产品时使用。它主要指采用突破性技术生产的钢材、利用废钢生产的钢材、再利用和再制造的钢材，以及通过购买碳排放指标或碳汇生产的传统钢材。通常该术语通常仅用于阐述碳排放（见低碳钢），因此只是环境绩效的一个子集。术语仅用于碳排放鉴于“绿色钢材”自身含义的不确定性和多样性，以及缺乏对其他环境因素的考虑，世界钢铁协会将不采用“绿色钢材”这种表述方式。
零化石燃料钢
所谓“零化石燃料钢”，指钢材生产过程中，既没有使用任何化石燃料（例如煤炭或天然气），也没有使用任何化石燃料的衍生能源。
化石氢
化石氢指的是利用化石燃料却不使用减碳工艺生产的氢，主要有：
- 灰氢：使用蒸汽甲烷重整工艺，利用天然气生产的氢；由于该工艺不使用CCS技术，因此一同产生的二氧化碳会被排入大气。
- 棕氢或黑氢：使用煤炭气化技术生产的氢，这种颜色的氢产生的温室气体显著高于其他颜色的氢。
氢
氢是一种关键的媒介物质，可以显著降低钢铁行业的温室气体排放，世界钢铁协会许多会员企业都在探索该技术方案。根据氢的减碳能力，氢往往被赋予某种颜色。
当世界钢铁协会提及低碳氢时，我们具体指：
- 绿氢：使用可再生电力，通过电解水产生。
- 蓝氢：综合使用蒸汽甲烷重整工艺和CCS技术，利用天然气制成。
- 另外，还有使用其他低碳电力（例如核电）电解生产的氢，或者使用CCS技术生产的氢。我们认为这些也属于低碳氢。
板材
一种经过轧制的成品钢铁产品，例如钢带、钢板等。
热浸镀锌
通过在钢材表面镀上一层锌，为钢材提供长期耐腐蚀保护的工序。
热轧机和冷轧机
热轧机：将预热到一定高温的固态钢放到两个旋转轧辊之间进行连续轧制的设备。
冷轧机：在室温下，将扁钢产品放到合金钢轧辊之间进行轧制，以降低扁钢厚度的设备。
铁水
高炉中熔炼出来的铁水。
HRC
热轧卷材（参见“热轧”）
钢铁间接贸易
钢材间接贸易通过含钢商品的进出口实现的，贸易量以产品所含的成品钢材当量表示。
钢锭
铸造成特定形状，以便深加工的金属块。
带钢生产工艺（ISP）
带钢生产工艺可生产厚度仅1毫米的热轧卷材成品，该工艺最早由意大利阿尔维迪公司与德国曼内斯曼-德马格公司在上世纪80年代末联合开发。
长流程钢铁厂
拥有将炼铁与炼钢设备的大型工厂，一般采用氧气顶吹转炉炼钢工艺。长流程钢铁厂还可包括将钢材进行成品加工的系统设备。
铁矿石
钢材制造过程中使用的主要原料。
钢包冶金
指在钢包完成精炼任务即温度控制、压力控制、化学成分的微调和均匀化等，以提高前和后工序的生产率，以及最终产品的质量。
石灰石
钢铁行业用于去除高炉炼铁杂质而使用的一种物质。另外，在净化工序中，有时也有使用一种叫作“白云石”的含镁石灰石。
管线
用于输送气体、石油或水的管材，通常用于管道系统或公用设施分配系统。
长材
一种经过轧制的成品钢材，例如钢轨、条钢等。
误工工伤
造成企业、协议工或者第三方合同工或雇员不能在下一个计划工期返回工作岗位的任何工作相关伤害。如果虽然可以返岗工作，但是工作内容有所限制的，则无论限制程度的多少，这种情况都不构成误工工伤；返岗工作时间仅限于下一个计划工作日。误工工伤率（LTIFR）的计算方式是每百万工时的误工工伤数量。
低碳钢
采用科学技术和实践经验生产的低碳排放钢，相比传统方式温室气体的排放显著降低。
机械配管
可制造成各种形状的焊接管或无缝管，这种钢管的公差小于其他钢管。
微型钢铁厂
一种基于电弧炉工艺、主要利用废钢生产新钢材的小型炼钢厂。还可能包括生产成品钢材的设施。
净吨
参见“吨”
净零碳钢
参见碳中和钢
油井管
石油和天然气行业使用的钢管，包括套管、配管和钻管。套管是井壁的结构性支承；配管位于油井套管内，用于将石油输送到地平面；钻管用于向地面以下的旋转钻井工具输送动力。
平炉工序
一种利用铁水和废钢铁进行炼钢的工序。平炉的炉膛和炉顶较浅，可帮助清除铁水杂质。火焰和气体通过封闭的炉膛上方，热量被向下反射到炉膛内的材料上。在多数现代化工厂，这套工序已被氧气顶吹工序取代。
球团
是将铁矿粉造块的方法。
酸洗
使用化学物质清除成品钢材氧化皮的工序。
生铁
使用焦炭等高碳燃料熔炼铁矿石生成的产品。
中厚板
使用板坯或钢锭生产的一种平轧产品，厚度大于薄钢板或钢带。
钢筋
一种加固用棒材。
精炼台
粗钢制造过程中的一个阶段；在该阶段，粗钢被进一步精炼（例如，清除大部分残余杂质）并且在浇铸之前，还可能添加其他金属。
轧钢机
这种设备让材料通过轧辊之间的空隙，以降低材料厚度或转变半成品或中间产品的形状。
废钢
废钢是钢铁业最重要的原料之一，主要来自于含钢产品在其使用寿命结束时产生的折旧废钢（消费后的废料），从拆除的建筑物到报废车辆、包装品、白色家电及机械，或是在炼钢和制造过程产生的废料（消费前的废料）。它也可以包括铁屑。所有的钢都可以回收成新的钢。所有的新钢中都含有一些废钢。
半成品
小方坯、大方坯和板坯等钢铁产品。既可以通过对热钢直接连铸取得半成品，也可首先将钢水浇入钢锭，然后再轧制成半成品。
薄板材
一种宽度大于12英寸、厚度比中厚板略薄的平轧产品。
钢板桩
钢板桩是一种边缘带有联动装置，且这种联动装置可以自由组合以便形成一种连续紧密的挡土或者挡水墙的钢结构体。
烧结厂
烧结厂将铁矿石粉碎、匀化、与石灰石和焦炭渣混合后进行灼烧（“烧结”），烧结过程将形成烧结块——高炉炉料中使用的主要含铁成分。
烧结
对于过于精细、无法被高炉有效利用的矿石，烧结工序将这部分矿石与助熔石合并。混合物经加热后形成烧结块，烧结块可改善高炉通风。
板坯
一种半成品钢材，生产方式是将钢锭放入轧钢机轧制，或者首先将钢锭放入连铸机加工，然后再切割成不同长度。板坯截面为矩形，被用作扁材产品（例如，热轧卷材或厚板材）的起始物料。
炉渣
在熔炼过程中生成的一种副产品，其中含有来自“炉料”（在炼钢工序中，首先投入高炉的物料）的惰性物质。
海绵铁
直接还原工序生成的产物。也被称为直接还原铁。
不锈钢
不锈钢因为其铬含量（铁素体钢）和镍含量（奥氏体钢）而有别于碳钢。通过向碳钢中添加铬，可提高抗锈蚀性和防污性；通过向含铬的不锈钢中添加镍，可提高不锈钢的机械属性，例如，密度、热容和强度等。
标准管
用于低压输送空气、蒸汽、煤气、水、石油或其他液体，还可用于机械用途。主要用于机械、建筑、喷淋系统、灌溉系统以及水井，而在管道或配送系统中并不常用。
能效升级项目（step up)
“能效升级”项目是世界钢铁协会制定的一个四步走效率评估流程。该项目旨在提高目前的钢铁生产效率，帮助会员企业达到世界优秀绩效厂区的水平。“能效升级”项目是一个过渡性计划，并不能为钢铁行业提供应对气候变化挑战的解决方案。
带材
扁钢卷材产品，热轧带材的宽度小于600毫米，冷轧带材的宽度小于500毫米。较宽的扁材产品也被称为宽带材。
结构管和配管
焊接或无缝式钢管和配管，通常被建筑业用作地面以上的结构或承重用途，还可用于船舶、卡车以及农机上的结构件。
结构型材
轧制的法兰型钢、厚板材焊接型钢以及横截面至少有一边在三英寸以上的特种型钢。包括角钢、工字钢、槽钢、T型钢、Z形钢。
薄带连铸
一种只需一步就可将钢水浇铸成固态钢带的铸造技术，无需再使用板坯连铸机和带钢热轧机。
镀锡钢
镀上一层锡或铬的冷轧薄板、带材或厚板。
吨（t）
- 美国通行单位制中的一种重量单位，1吨等于2,240磅。也被称为长吨。
- 美国通行单位制中的一种重量单位，1吨等于2,000磅。也被称为短吨。还被称为净吨。
Tonne (T)
一种公制吨，1公吨等于1,000千克，或2,204.6磅，或1.1023短吨。
实际钢铁消费量（TSU）
钢铁实际消费量是从钢铁表观消费量（ASU)减去净间接钢材出口量得出。钢铁实际消费量不等于钢铁表观总消费是因
为各国的间接贸易覆盖范围和计算方法存在差异。
盘条
将直径在18.5毫米以下棒材卷成卷，主要用于生产线材。
线材：拉拔和/或轧制
让热轧钢材经过一个或系列模具或者轧辊进行冷轧，以提高钢材表面光洁度、尺寸精度和物理属性，线材产品范围很广。
焊接
通过利用热量和压力软化金属，将两片金属接合到一起的过程。
锻铁
具有一定韧度和延展性，适合锻造和焊接的低碳铁。
零碳钢
要制造真正的“零碳钢”，钢铁生产过程中将不能排放任何二氧化碳，难以想象在2021年会有某一生产技术能够达到这一严格的标准。
Alloy
Steel is an alloy (a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal) of iron and carbon.
Annealing
The heat treatment process by which steel products are reheated to a suitable temperature to remove stresses from previous processing and to soften them and/or improve their machinability and cold-forming properties.
Apparent steel use (ASU)
ASU is obtained by adding up deliveries (defined as what comes out of the steel producer’s facility gate) and net direct imports. As a unit of measurement worldsteel uses the metric tonne.
Bar
A finished steel product, commonly in flat, square, round or hexagonal shapes. Rolled from billets, bars are produced in two major types: merchant and special.
Basic oxygen steelmaking
Making steel through oxidation by injecting oxygen through a lance above a molten mixture of pig iron and scrap steel.
Bessemer process
A process for making steel by blowing air into molten pig iron through the bottom of a converter.
Billet
A semi-finished steel product with a square cross-section up to 155mm x 155mm. This product is either rolled or continuously cast and is then transformed by rolling to obtain finished products like wire rod, merchant bars and other sections. The range of semi-finished products above 155 mm x 155 mm are called blooms.
Blank
Steel sheet of high dimensional precision, in simple or complex form, sometimes multi-thickness, constituting principally automobile body parts.
Blast furnace
A furnace used for smelting iron from iron ore.
Bloom
See billet
Breakthrough technology
Breakthrough technology produces low-carbon steel in a radically different way to the conventional blast furnace, DRI or EAF technology. Examples of breakthrough technology being developed include hydrogen reduction, the application of CCS, the electrolysis of iron ore, a suite of carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) technologies and new smelting reduction processes.
Carbon-free
Carbon-free is a difficult expression to relate to steel as steel without carbon is iron, and the carbon content of steel is precisely controlled to achieve the properties demanded in a specific batch. Carbon will need to be added to hydrogen reduced iron in order to turn it into steel through the refining process.
Carbon-neutral steel (or net-zero steel)
If a balance can be achieved between the greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere when producing steel and emissions taken out of the atmosphere by sinks, the resulting steel can be referred to as carbon-neutral steel (or net-zero steel). The production of carbon-neutral steel may require offsets in other sectors to achieve true neutrality, and it is important that if claims of carbon neutrality are made producers are transparent about boundaries, their accounting methodologies, and the quality and credibility of any offsets used.
Carbon steel
A type of steel of which the main alloying element is carbon.
Carburising
Increasing the carbon content of steel by diffusing carbon into the surface, allowing the surface to be heat-treated to become a hard, wear-resistant layer.
Cast
An object formed by using a mould.
Clean steel
Clean steel is a technical expression used in the steel sector to refer to steels containing low levels of impurities, oxides, inclusions, or low or ultra-low level of carbon dissolved in the metal. The phrase is in common use, including by worldsteel in our 2004 ‘Study on Clean Steel’, and means something specific. As such worldsteel does not refer to “clean steel” in the context of climate change.
Coal
The primary fuel used by integrated iron and steel producers.
Coating
Applying a protective layer to the outside of material using various methods such as galvanising.
Coil
A finished steel product such as sheet or strip which has been wound or coiled after rolling.
Coke
A form of carbonised coal burned in blast furnaces to reduce iron ore pellets or other iron-bearing materials iron.
Coke ovens
Ovens where coke is produced. Coal is usually dropped into the ovens through openings in the roof, and heated by gas burning in flues in the walls within the coke oven battery. After heating for about 18 hours, the end doors are removed and a ram pushes the coke into a quenching car for cooling before delivery to the blast furnace.
Cold rolling
Passing a sheet or strip that has previously been hot rolled and picked through cold rolls (below the softening temperature of the metal). Cold rolling makes a product that is thinner, smoother and stronger than can be made by hot rolling alone.
Continuous casting
A process for solidifying steel in the form of a continuous strand rather than individual ingots. Molten steel is poured into open-bottomed, water-cooled moulds. As the molten steel passes through the mould, the outer shell solidifies.
CRC
Cold rolled coil (see cold rolling)
Crude steel
Steel in the first solid state after melting, suitable for further processing or for sale. Synonymous with raw steel.
Direct reduction
A group of processes for making iron from ore without exceeding the melting temperature. No blast furnace is needed.
Electric arc furnace
A furnace that melts steel scrap using the heat generated by a high power electric arc. During the melting process, elements are added to achieve the correct chemistry and oxygen is blown into the furnace to purify the steel.
Electrical steels
Specially manufactured cold-rolled sheet and strip containing silicon, processed to develop definite magnetic characteristics for use by the electrical industry.
Green steel
Green steel is being used and interpreted by many different parties to mean different things, often in the context of marketing new more environmentally conscious products. It has been used to refer to steel manufactured using breakthrough technology, steel produced from scrap, reused and remanufactured steel, and conventional steel with emissions offset through the retirement of carbon units or allowances. Given this inherent lack of clarity and diversity of meanings ‘green steel’ is not an expression worldsteel uses.
Fossil-free steel
Fossil-free steel is steel manufactured without using any fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas, nor any fossil fuel-derived energy.
Fossil hydrogen
Fossil fuel hydrogen is made from unabated fossil fuels, chiefly:
- Grey hydrogen is made from natural gas through the process of steam methane reforming, without CCS so CO2 is emitted to atmosphere.
- Brown, or black hydrogen is manufactured through coal gasification and leads to significantly higher GHG emissions than other hues.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is a key vector that will allow GHG emissions from the iron and steel sector to be significantly reduced, and many of worldsteel’s members are exploring this technology option. Hydrogen is often attributed to a colour, depending on its low-carbon credentials.
When worldsteel talks about low carbon hydrogen, we mean:
- Green hydrogen is produced through the electrolysis of water, powered by renewable electricity.
- Blue hydrogen is made from natural gas through the process of steam methane reforming combined with CCS.
- Hydrogen can also be produced using electrolysis using other sources of low-carbon electricity, such as nuclear or CCS. We also consider this to be low-carbon.
Flat products
A type of finished rolled steel product like steel strip and plate.
Hot dip galvanisation
A process by which steel is given long-term corrosion protection by coating it with molten zinc.
Hot and cold rolling mill
Hot-rolling mill: Equipment on which solidified steel preheated to a high temperature is continuously rolled between two rotating cylinders.
Cold rolling mill: Equipment that reduces the thickness of flat steel products by rolling the metal between alloy steel cylinders at room temperature.
Hot metal
Molten iron produced in the blast furnace.
HRC
Hot-rolled coil (see hot rolling)
Indirect steel
Indirect trade in steel takes place through exports and imports of steel containing goods and is expressed in finished steel equivalent of products used.
Ingot
A metal block cast in a particular shape for convenient further processing.
In-line strip production (ISP)
ISP produces hot-rolled coil down to finished gauges of 1mm, and has its origins in joint development work by Arvedi with German plant maker Mannesmann Demag in the late 1980s.
Integrated mill
Large-scale plant combining iron smelting and steelmaking facilities, usually based on basic oxygen furnace. May also include systems for turning steel into finished products.
Iron ore
The primary raw material in the manufacture of steel.
Ladle metallurgy
The process whereby conditions (temperature, pressure and chemistry) are controlled within the ladle of the steelmaking furnace to improve productivity in preceding and subsequent steps, as well as the quality of the final product.
Limestone
Used by the steel industry to remove impurities from the iron made in blast furnaces. Limestone containing magnesium, called dolomite, is also sometimes used in the purifying process.
Line pipe
Used for transportation of gas, oil or water generally in a pipeline or utility distribution system.
Long products
A type of finished rolled steel product like rail and steel bars.
Lost time injury
Any work-related injury, resulting in the company, contractor or third party contractor employee not being able to return to work for their next scheduled work period. Returning to work with work restrictions does not constitute a lost time injury status, no matter how minimal or severe the restrictions, provided it is at the employee’s next scheduled shift. Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) is calculated as number of Lost Time Injuries per million man hours.
Low-carbon steel
Low-carbon steel is manufactured using technologies and practices that result in the emission of significantly lower emissions than conventional production.
Mechanical tubing
Welded or seamless tubing produced in a large number of shapes to closer tolerances than other pipes.
Mini mill
A small-scale steelmaking plant based on the EAF, making new steel from mostly steel scrap. May also include facilities for producing finished steel products.
Net ton
See ton
Net-zero steel
See carbon-neutral steel
Oil country tubular goods (OCTG)
Pipe used in wells in oil and gas industries, consisting of casing, tubing and drill pipe. Casing is the structural retainer for the walls; tubing is used within casing oil wells to convey oil to ground level; drill pipe is used to transmit power to a rotary drilling tool below ground level.
Open hearth process
A process for making steel from molten iron and scrap. The open hearth furnace has a shallow hearth and roof that help to remove impurities from the molten iron. The flame and gases pass across the top of the enclosed hearth, heat being reflected down onto the material in the hearth. This process has been replaced by the basic oxygen process in most modern facilities.
Pellets
An enriched form of iron ore shaped into small balls.
Pickling
Using chemicals to remove the scale from finished steel.
Pig Iron
The product that results from smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke
Plate
A flat-rolled product from slabs or ingots of greater thickness than sheet or strip.
Rebar steel
A reinforcing steel bar
Refining stand
A stage in the process of making crude steel, during which the crude steel is further refined (i.e. most residual impurities are removed) and additions of other metals may be made before it is cast.
Rolling mill
Equipment that reduces and transforms the shape of semi-finished or intermediate steel products by passing the material through a gap between rolls that is smaller than the entering materials.
Scrap
Steel scrap is one of the steel industry’s most important raw materials. It comes from all steel-containing products that reach the end of their life (post-consumer scrap), from demolished structures to end of life vehicles, packaging, white goods and machinery, and the yield losses in the steelmaking and manufacturing processes (pre-consumer scrap). It can also include iron scrap. All steel can be recycled into new steel. All new steel contains some steel scrap.
Semi-finished products
Steel products such as billet, blooms and slabs. These products can be made by direct continuous casting of hot steel or by pouring the liquid steel into ingots, which are then hot rolled into semi-finished products.
Sheet
A flat-rolled product over 12 inches in width and of less thickness than plate.
Sheet piling
Rolled sections with interlocking joints (continuous throughout the entire length of the piece) on each edge to permit being driven edge-to-edge to form continuous walls for retaining earth or water.
Sinter plant
A plant in which iron ore is crushed, homogenised and mixed with limestone and coke breeze and then cooked (“sintered”) to form sinter which is the main ferrous component of blast furnace burden.
Sintering
A process that combines ores too fine for efficient blast furnace use with flux stone. The mixture is heated to form clumps, which allow better draft in the blast furnace.
Slab
A semi-finished steel product obtained by rolling ingots on a rolling mill or processed through a continuous caster and cut into various lengths. The slab has a rectangular cross section and is used as a starting material in the production process of flat products, i.e. hot rolled coils or plates.
Slag
A co-product, containing inert materials from the ‘burden’ (the materials put into the blast furnace at the beginning of the steelmaking process), that is produced during the melting process.
Sponge iron
The product of the direct reduction process. Also known as direct reduced iron (DRI).
Stainless steels
Stainless steels are distinguished from carbon steel by their chromium (ferritic steel) content and, in certain cases, nickel (austenitic steel). Adding chromium to carbon steel makes it more rust and stain-resistant, and when nickel is added to chromium stainless steel it enhances its mechanical properties, for example its density, heat capacity and strength.
Standard pipe
Used for low-pressure conveyance of air, steam, gas, water, oil or other fluids and for mechanical applications. Used primarily in machinery, buildings, sprinkler systems, irrigation systems, and water wells rather than in pipelines or distribution systems.
Step Up
Step Up is worldsteel’s 4-stage efficiency review process. Step Up aims to improve the efficiency of steel production now, to support our members in operating their sites at a level of performance commensurate with the world’s most efficient sites. Step Up is a transitional programme and should not be seen as providing a solution to the steel industry’s climate change challenges.
Strip
Flat steel coil products, with widths of less than 600mm for hot rolled products and less than 500mm for cold-rolled products. The wider flat products are called wide strips.
Structural pipe and tubing
Welded or seamless pipe and tubing generally used for structural or load-bearing purposes above-ground by the construction industry, as well as for structural members in ships, trucks, and farm equipment.
Structural shapes
Rolled flange sections, sections welded from plates, and special sections with at least one dimension of their cross-section three inches or greater. Included are angles, beams, channels, tees and zeds.
Thin strip continuous casting
Casting technology that takes liquid steel and casts it into solid strip in one step, thereby eliminating the need for a continuous slab caster and hot strip mill.
Tin coated steel
Cold rolled sheet, strip or plate coated with tin or chromium.
Ton (t)
- A unit of weight in the US Customary System equal to 2,240 pounds. Also known as long ton.
- A unit of weight in the US Customary System equal to 2,000 pounds. Also known as short ton. Also known as net ton.
Tonne (T)
A metric tonne, equivalent to 1,000 kilograms or 2,204.6 pounds or 1.1023 short ton.
True Steel Use
True steel use (TSU) is obtained by subtracting net indirect exports of steel from apparent steel use (ASU). Total TSU is not equal to ASU because of differences in country coverage and methodological specifics of indirect trade in steel calculations. Further details can be found at worldsteel.org/publications/reports.
Wire rods
Coiled bars of up to 18.5 millimetres in diameter, used mainly in the production of wire.
Wire: drawn and/or rolled
The broad range of products produced by cold reducing hot-rolled steel through a die, series of dies, or through rolls to improve surface finish, dimensional accuracy and physical properties.
Welding
Joining two pieces of metal together using heat and pressure to soften the materials.
Wrought iron
Low-carbon content iron that is tough and malleable for forging and welding.
Zero-carbon steel
To be truly zero-carbon, steel would need to be produced without any CO2 emissions at all. This is a very high bar to reach, and it is difficult to conceive of a production technology that could achieve this in the short term.