Jiangsu Shagang Group has successfully restarted its 5,800-cubic-meter Blast Furnace #4 at the Zhangjiagang plant in Jiangsu province following a major modernization by Danieli Corus.
The upgrade involved converting the bosh, belly, and lower stack zones to Danieli Corus’ high-conductivity lining design, which utilizes a dense pattern of copper plate coolers and graphite refractory. This improvement aims to extend furnace campaign life beyond the previous stave cooling design.
To enhance process control, a Level 2 heat-loss monitoring system was installed, covering eight sections at three levels to detect and prevent heat losses effectively.
Despite the extensive scope of the project, the blast furnace, China’s largest, was restarted just over four months after the blowdown, a significant achievement. Post-modernization, average shell temperatures have remained safely below 60 Celsius, and the cooling system has proven its ability to handle high heat loads without compromising furnace integrity. Within months of commissioning, the furnace achieved a coke rate of 326 kg/tHM, marking a 6pct reduction compared to previous levels.