684
A. Filzwieser et al.
Keywords Cooling elements · Ionic liquid · Safe cooling · Safety · Steel making ·
Ferro-alloy · Electric furnace · Non-ferrous metals · Water-free cooling · Increased
furnace availability · Novel cooling options · ILTEC
Introduction
All of us are aware of the risks when water is used as a coolant and placed in the vicinity of the liquid metal phase. Unsuitable design solutions or wrong operation modes
of the furnaces or failures of refractories can cause a direct contact of water with
liquid metal. The consequences can lead to equipment failures and vessel destruction but even worse to injuries and even fatalities. Over the past decades, countless
incidences were reported. Fatal accidents caused by water coming into contact with
liquid metal happen every year [1, 2]. With the novel ionic liquid cooling technology,
virtually all negative effects of a water cooled system regarding safety are eliminated,
and even additional benefits can be provided [3–5]. The fact that no explosion occurs
when IL-B2001 gets in contact with molten metal results in a revolutionary solution for the metallurgical industry in terms of safety—new safety standards can be
achieved.
History and Milestones of ILTEC
For the cooling application, the ionic liquid IL-B2001 was designed as a medium
for meeting the typical requirements for this application. It took years of intensive
research and a multitude of different ionic liquids to find the most suitable composition to meet the requirements for metallurgical aggregates. The major milestones of
this patented cooling principle are as follows:
• 2009 The idea was born by Mettop
• 2009 Preliminary tests and patent application by Mettop
• 2009 Design of characteristic and creation of various ionic liquids
• 2012 Completion of laboratory tests and final launch of IL-B2001
• 2012 Industrial scale trials in Austria (Fig. 1)
• 2012 European certification for industrial application
• 2015 First reference at Nyrstar, Norway
• 2016 JV PolyMet Solutions of Mettop and SMS group
• 2017 Exclusive cooperation agreement with SMS group.
A. Filzwieser et al.
Keywords Cooling elements · Ionic liquid · Safe cooling · Safety · Steel making ·
Ferro-alloy · Electric furnace · Non-ferrous metals · Water-free cooling · Increased
furnace availability · Novel cooling options · ILTEC
Introduction
All of us are aware of the risks when water is used as a coolant and placed in the vicinity of the liquid metal phase. Unsuitable design solutions or wrong operation modes
of the furnaces or failures of refractories can cause a direct contact of water with
liquid metal. The consequences can lead to equipment failures and vessel destruction but even worse to injuries and even fatalities. Over the past decades, countless
incidences were reported. Fatal accidents caused by water coming into contact with
liquid metal happen every year [1, 2]. With the novel ionic liquid cooling technology,
virtually all negative effects of a water cooled system regarding safety are eliminated,
and even additional benefits can be provided [3–5]. The fact that no explosion occurs
when IL-B2001 gets in contact with molten metal results in a revolutionary solution for the metallurgical industry in terms of safety—new safety standards can be
achieved.
History and Milestones of ILTEC
For the cooling application, the ionic liquid IL-B2001 was designed as a medium
for meeting the typical requirements for this application. It took years of intensive
research and a multitude of different ionic liquids to find the most suitable composition to meet the requirements for metallurgical aggregates. The major milestones of
this patented cooling principle are as follows:
• 2009 The idea was born by Mettop
• 2009 Preliminary tests and patent application by Mettop
• 2009 Design of characteristic and creation of various ionic liquids
• 2012 Completion of laboratory tests and final launch of IL-B2001
• 2012 Industrial scale trials in Austria (Fig. 1)
• 2012 European certification for industrial application
• 2015 First reference at Nyrstar, Norway
• 2016 JV PolyMet Solutions of Mettop and SMS group
• 2017 Exclusive cooperation agreement with SMS group.