Growth of the production of rails from continuous-cast semifinished products of electrical steel

Abstract

Since 2001, the Novokuznetsk Metallurgical Combine has produced 3.0 million tons of R65 railroad rails of continuous-cast steel made in electric furnaces. The combine has significantly improved all the most important quality indices of the steel during this period, and the service life of the rails has increased from 0.5·109 to (0.8–1)·109 tons gross. The combine has mastered the production of rails with superior cold resistance and rails suited of use in high-speed rail systems. It is beginning production of rails with a bainitic structure and rails made of hypereutectoid steels. All these results have been obtained through the construction of new production facilities and modernization of the combine’s existing equipment. Plans for future rail production include extensive reconstruction of the heat-treatment section of the rail-beam shop and reconstruction of the machine-tool bay, the latter involving replacement of part of the equipment. Arc steelmaking furnace No. 1 and two continuous casters will be rebuilt in the electric steelmaking shop. The ultimate goal is to increase the durability and reliability of the rails so as to put them on par with the best rails in the world.