In recent years, China's iron and steel industry has made positive progress in improving converter campaign life. This is attributed to the continuous improvement of refractory material quality for converter linings, the mature application of slag-minimized smelting technology, and the continuous optimization of slag splashing for furnace protection. The advanced campaign life level in the industry has exceeded 10,000 heats. As a key technical and economic indicator measuring an iron and steel enterprise's converter smelting level and lining maintenance capacity, the improvement of campaign life directly contributes to reducing production costs.
Xingtai Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. (Xingtai Steel)'s Steelmaking Plant has carried out systematic research to improve the campaign life of its 50-ton converters (the stable campaign life was around 8,000 heats before the research). Significant progress has been achieved: in September 2024, the campaign life of the plant's No. 3 converter exceeded 10,000 heats for the first time, reaching 10,100 heats; in July 2025, the campaign life of the No. 2 converter was further increased to 12,045 heats, setting a historical record for the plant. The extension of campaign life has effectively prolonged the lining replacement cycle. Data shows that the per-ton steel lining cost of the No. 2 converter has decreased by approximately 0.47 yuan/ton compared with that before the research, and the cost reduction benefit of large-scale production has become apparent.
To achieve the breakthrough in campaign life, Xingtai Steel's Steelmaking Plant has implemented a series of comprehensive measures focusing on "precision furnace protection and erosion reduction". Based on the real-time erosion status of the furnace lining, the plant dynamically adjusts the maintenance frequency and intensity; at the same time, it optimizes the dolomite addition amount to improve the slag formation process, enhances the protective effect of slag on the lining, and slows down the erosion rate. Addressing the problem that excessive molten steel oxidizability aggravates lining erosion, a "statistical monitoring and reward-penalty incentive"
mechanism has been established to improve the tapping carbon hit rate. Stable tapping carbon content has effectively reduced fluctuations in molten steel oxidizability, thereby minimizing lining erosion loss. In addition, the plant fully utilizes production intervals (such as after tapping and before charging) to promptly perform slag patching on slightly eroded parts of the lining, preventing the expansion of local damage and ensuring the overall service life of the lining.
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