In the Karaganda State Industrial University in the experimental workshop on November 7, 2018, a new experimental ore-thermal furnace with a capacity of 250 KVA was launched.

The idea of creating such a pilot high-temperature installation has long ripened earlier when performing such research projects:

– “Physico-chemical research and development of technology for producing alloys based on: Si-Al-Mn, Si-Al-Ba, Si-Al-Cr”;

– “Development and improvement of equipment, principles and methods of conducting and processing the results of thermal analysis in relation to pyrometallurgical processes”;

– “Physico-chemical research and development of technology for the production and use of calcium and barium-containing alloys.” These research, in particular the conduct of experimental studies were carried out in third-party organizations.

Therefore, the creation of such a facility was a dream of the staff of the department “Metallurgy and Materials Science”, which is headed by Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Nurumgaliev Asylbek Khabadashevich.

Scientific developments of Professor A.H. Nurumgaliyev сonsider the use of raw materials of chromium and manganese deposits in the quality and fraction of substandard in composition and fraction and the coal wastes of the Ekibastuz and Karaganda basins in terms of composition most suitable for producing alloys: Si-A1-Mn; Si-Al-Ba; Si-A1-Cr. Depending on the assortment of melted alloys, in some cases, the scarce expensive coke is completely replaced by coal waste.

The ore-thermal smelting of complex ferroalloys from substandard raw materials by the carbothermic method using coal wastes is an economically viable and efficient technology. The technology is competitive – smelted complex ferroalloy completely or partially replaces traditional ferroalloys in steel production and additionally introduces alloying components.

Therefore, in order to create and develop technological regimes for producing complex ferroalloys, the fundamental and applied aspects of the current problem are purposefully considered. The development provides for the expansion of silicon-aluminum alloys assortments and the technology for the production of completely new grades of complex ferroalloys of the type: ferrosilico alumo manganese, ferrosilicome aluminum, ferrosilicomechromium with high technical and economic indicators.

The novelty and prospects of a new product or technology according to the proposed development lies in the new theoretical propositions and patterns of joint restoration of elements in Si-A1-Mn; Si-Al-Ba; Si-A1-Cr; identification of the distribution of elements in phases, the establishment of the phase composition of intermediate and final reaction products depending on the temperature and the initial composition of the charge materials; identification of the optimal mixtures of the charge and the solid carbon content at different ratios of the leading components in the systems under consideration the establishment of rational compositions of complex ferroalloys satisfying smelting technology and their use as a reducing agent in metallothermy and as a deoxidizer with additionally alloying and modifying elements.

At the same time, the obtained experimental alloys have a cost of 20–30% lower than a similar product from high-grade raw materials according to traditional technologies. In addition, it contains additional useful alloying elements like Cr, Mn, Ba.

High scientific and technical level of research is provided by:

– using modern methods of theoretical analysis and physico-chemical modeling of high-temperature processes using the ASTRA, TERRA, OUTOKUMPA software systems and others; conducting thermogravimetric studies to study the properties of charge materials using modern methods of analysis.

To create such an installation from the themes of grant financing, an OSZ-250 / 0.5 – UHL4 power transformer from the Moscow Transformer Plant was purchased for the amount of 13 million tenge .The transformer has seven voltage levels on the secondary side from 27.4 V to 71.2 V. Other auxiliary equipment and instruments (control panel, column of electric holder with an electric electrode reversing mechanism, bus ducts, closed water cooling system, etc.) based on a consortium agreement on joint activities provided technical assistance to the enterprise PF LLP KSP Steel, whose general director is Mr. Edward L. Kreymer.

The creation, launch and further improvement of such a high-temperature installation will allow the implementation of research diploma works of students, research and contractual works and will contribute to the training of highly qualified personnel of masters and PhDs.

During installation and start-up of a high-temperature installation for the purpose of checking equipment under load conditions at all voltage levels, the main chief engineer of ferroalloy production of PF KSP Steel LLP participated and students.