著者

内藤 誠章 武田 幹治 松井 良行

出版者

一般社団法人 日本鉄鋼協会

雑誌

鉄と鋼 (ISSN:00211575)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.100, no.1, pp.2-30, 2014 (Released:2013-12-31)

参考文献数

218

被引用文献数

9 14

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The modern blast furnace operation at integrated steel works in Japan has started in 1901 by the first blown-in of Higashida No. 1 blast furnace in Yawata Works, while a 150 years history of Japanese steel industry has dated back to the first western blast furnace built by T. Ohashi in 1857. The steel industry has been supporting the Japanese economy as a key industry which supplies base materials for social infrastructure and developments throughout the pre and post war periods.After the recovery period from the war destruction, Chiba Works of Kawasaki Steel Corp., were built and started its operation in 1953 as the first integrated steel works in Keiyo Industrial Region after the war. During the rapid growth period, many coastal steel works equipped with a large blast furnace more than 3000m3 and some of 5000m3 were built for the efficient marine transportation of raw materials and steel products. Most advanced technologies, high pressure equipment, stave cooler system and bell-less charging system etc., were introduced, improved and has risen to the top level in the world with low reducing agent ratio (RAR), energy saving and long service life of a blast furnace and coke ovens.Energy shift from oil to coal by the oil crisis, cost oriented operation design and technology were tackled and the hot metal of about 80 million tons is manufactured with 27 blast furnaces including over 5000m3 large scale blast furnaces in 2012. During this period, our industry has faced many economical and social pressures of high exchange rate of yen, oligopoly of mining market, global warming problem, and surge of iron ore and coal prices by the rapid growth of the BRICs. We have kept our competitive positions by developing advanced technologies on pulverized coal injection, extended use of low cost iron resources, recycling for environment and CO2 mitigation technologies.Prospects of ironmaking technologies for other decades are discussed by reviewing various papers published and looking back the history of ironmaking developments during the last 100 years.