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RE: (erielack) the ERIE and EL and types of steel

Thanks very much Steve, for getting an expert to weigh in on this.  The reason for asking is that
the incoming deliveries to a BOF vs and EAF are different, and I wanted to know if there were EAFs
on the EL, as it would add variety to the traffic inbound to a "steel mill."

I know (I think) what a BOF plant would typically look like.  I'm not so sure I know what an EAF
would look like as distinct from a BOF.  IF we can try the patience of the list a bit more, can the
visible differences be quickly explained?

SGL

> In a message dated 7/6/2009 10:28:25 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> schuyler.larrabee_@_verizon.net writes:
> 
> The  writer distinguishes between mills making carbon steel and those
> making "alloy  steel."  While I
> am not convinced that this separation makes complete  sense . . . were the
> mills on the ERIE in
> Youngstown and elsewhere such  that they could be classified as one or the
> other? Or do we end up
> with  three lists: those that made carbon steel exclusively, those that
> made alloy  steel exclusively,
> and those that were switch-hitters?
> 
> SGL
> 
> 
> 
> .................
> At the risk of receiving a rivet from the list owner for being off topic  I
> offer the following from Rick Rowlands.  Rick is a steel historian  and
> operates a museum in Youngstown that collects steelmaking equipment.   Rick was
> a huge help to me during the recent writing of STEEL MILL  RAILROADS,
> Morning Sun Books, release date Nov 15, 2009. (shameless plug).
> 
> SMT
> 
> 
> The major integrated steel producing plants in the Mahoning Valley District
>  with exception of Sharon Steel (Lowellville and Farrell) were carbon steel
>  producers.  Carbon steel is defined as a steel in which carbon and low
> amounts of manganese and/or silicon are the chief alloys.  The vast  majority
> of steel produced in the US during the time of the EL's existence is
> classified as carbon steel, and used for structural shapes, sheets, plate, pipe,
> rebar, etc.   The production facilities at these integrated steel  plants
> were geared for high levels of production of these basic steels.
> 
> Alloy steels are generally made in electric arc furnaces and in much
> smaller tonnages than carbon steel. An EAF has the ability to more closely
> control the chemical composition of an alloy, something that was very difficult
> if not impossible to do in an open hearth or BOF.
> 
> The reason that Sharon Steel is a special case is because both of their
> plants had open hearths as well as EAFs.  A portion of Sharon's production
> would have included alloy steel.  I believe that the EAFs at Lowellville  were
> put in by the Defense Plant Corporation so that Sharon could increase
> production of a special grade of steel used in WWII infantry helmets.   Sharon
> also did produce a considerable tonnage of carbon steel, as evidenced by  the
> open hearths and later the Kaldo furnaces (a type of BOF) at Farrell.
> 
> For the layman, to identify a plant that produced alloy steel vs. carbon
> steel, you must look at the steelmaking furnaces.  If the plant had
> Bessemers, open hearths or BOFs then it made carbon steel.  If they had  EAFs then
> they made alloy steel.  This does not apply to the time period  after the
> EL's demise however.
> 
> Rick Rowlands
> Executive Director
> Tod Engine Foundation
> "Preserving  Youngstown's Steel Industry Heritage"
> 2261 Hubbard Road
> Youngstown,  OH  44505
> 330-272-4089
> _www.todengine.org_ (http://www.todengine.org/)
> 
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