Russian steelmaker Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) has completed a major upgrade at its oxygen converter shop, installing a combined inert gas bottom-blowing system on all three converters for a total investment exceeding RUB 4.5 billion.
Implemented in three stages between August 2025 and June 2026, the project aims to reduce steelmaking costs and improve finished product quality. Supported by MMK’s new Oxygen Plant No. 6, the system supplies argon for bottom blowing, increasing usable metal yield by 5 kg per metric ton of steel, reducing metal oxidation by 2 percent and lowering the use of ferroalloys, aluminum and slag-forming mixtures.
According to MMK, the newly introduced technology allows the converters to operate with a higher proportion of pig iron in the charge without the need to add scrap, helping optimize raw material use in the steelmaking process. The company stated that, through the use of sinter as a coolant, the system reduces total metal charge consumption by 11.6 kg per metric ton of steel. In addition, the bottom-blowing technology lowers the level of non-metallic inclusions in the molten steel, contributing to cleaner steel for rolling operations and supporting the production of higher-quality finished products.
Chinese plantmaker SDM supplied the main process equipment, including the bottom-blowing system, automatic ladle blowing system, converter lining profile scanner and acoustic slag monitoring system. The new automated systems regulate inert gas supply and operating modes through a mathematical model, reducing manual intervention and improving process safety.
