MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF STEEL (SHRI A. SAI PRATHAP)
(a) There are two public sector steel producing companies namely Steel Authority of India Ltd.(SAIL) and Rashtriya
Ispat Nigam Ltd. (RINL). In various plants of SAIL, Research & Developments (R&D) activities are mainly pursued
through Research & Development Centre for Iron & Steel (RDCIS), SAIL, Ranchi. The investment made for research
and development on steel by Public Sector Steel plants during last three years and the current year are as under:
(Rs.in crores)
Year R&D Expenditure
SAIL RINL
2006-07 76.85 11.68
2007-08 101.86 17.93
2008-09 118.20 17.35
2009-10 (Apr.-June) 25.52 2.07
(b) Major achievements in the areas of process utilization, productivity, quality improvement,
cost reduction and solid waste utilisation in SAIL and RINL are annexed.
(c)&(d): Yes, Madam. Government has made a budgetary allocation of Rs.118 crore during the 11th
Five Year Plan Period for the first time for promoting R&D activities which inter-alia includes
quality upgradation also.
(e) Indian steel companies have taken up a large number of R&D projects which primarily focus on following areas:
(i) Productivity improvements
(ii) Energy conservation
(iii) Beneficiation of raw material
(iv) Product development
(v) Quality improvement
Annexure
Major achievements in R&D in public sector steel plants
Steel Authority of India Ltd.
# RDCIS has developed a technology for beneficiation of Iron ore slimes which otherwise were being dumped as a waste
material. Through this technology, waste material with 49-50 % Fe, is being enriched to 62-65% Fe for use in sinter making.
# RDCIS has developed “Curtain Flame Ignition System†for heating the sinter-mix. This technology has been introduced
in Sinter plants of SAIL. This has resulted in reduction of specific gas consumption and the furnace start-up time
reduced. In addition, improvement in productivity has also been achieved.
# Modified lining design developed by R&D centre using in-house developed bricks resulted in highest-ever lining life
of 129 heats against the avg. life of 90 heats at Rourkela Steel Plant.
# A new rail steel chemistry was developed by R&D Centre through micro alloying with vanadium. This has resulted
in improvement in yield strength accompanied by other mechanical and metallurgical properties of rails.
# SAIL has developed process technology for producing TMT bars of higher yield strength through indigenous R&D efforts.
In addition to this, another variety called Earthquake resistant TMT bars (TMT EQR) has also been developed recently.
Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd.
# Optimization of coal blend with different sources and type of coal.
# Maximization of usage of micro fine iron ore in sinter making.
# Improving the yield and Metallurgical performance of Vizag Steel’s 4-strand Tundish by water Modeling.
#Technical Analysis and Optimization of Continuous Casting at VSP using existing Plant facilities.
# Briquetting of SMS Gas Cleaning Plant Sludge as a replacement of sized iron ore.
# Briquetting of Solid Metallurgical Waste generated in the plant for usage in blast furnace.
