University of Groningen
Economische aspecten van het "directe procede"voor de bereiding van ijzer en staal Harteveld, Rijnder Bernardus
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1964
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Harteveld, R. B. (1964). Economische aspecten van het "directe procede"voor de bereiding van ijzer en staal. s.n.
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VIII. S A M E N V A T T I N G E N C O N C L U S I E S
De b a s i s v o o r d e z e verhandeling o v e r het d i r e c t e p r o c é - d é v o o r d e b e r e i d i n g van i j z e r e n e r t s in d e z e s t u d i e b e - r u s t op e e n dubbele dichotomie. E n e r z i j d s worden tegeno- v e r e l k a a r g e s t e l d het d i r e c t e procédé e n het i n d i r e c t e p r o - céd4, a n d e r z i j d s d e k l a s s i e k e e n e r g i e b a s i s in d e v o r m v a n houtskool e n d e m o d e r n e e n e r g i e b a s i s i n d e v o r m van s t e e n - kool, olie, a a r d g a s , e t c . . Dit l e v e r t v i e r hoofdgroepen op:
het ( K ) l a s s i e k e ( D ) i r e c t e procédé, het ( K ) l a s s i e k e (1)ndirecte p r o c e d é , h e t (M)oderne (1)ndirecte p r o c é d é e n h e t (M)oderne ( D ) i r e c t e procéd6. Het uitgangspunt wordt g e v o r m d d o o r h e t K. D. - p r o c é d é . H i e r o p volgt, d o o r d e ontwikkeling v a n d e hoogoven, h e t K. I. - p r o c é d é e n h i e r o p a l s e e n d i r e c t gevolg v a n d e h o u t s k o o l s c h a a r s t e , h e t M.I. - p r o c é d é . D e z e l a a t s t e v o r m is d e g r o n d s l a g v a n d e m o d e r n e i j z e r - e n s t a a l i n d u - s t r i e .
Sinds het midden v a n d e 19e eeuw worden pogingen i n h e t w e r k g e s t e l d o m het d i r e c t e p r o c é d é i n m o d e r n e v o r m t e doen h e r l e v e n , v o o r a l d o o r die landen d i e niet beschikken o v e r steenkool, geschikt v o o r d e b e r e i d i n g van m e t a l l u r g i s c h e c o k e s , benodigd v o o r het M. I. - p r o c é d é , m a a r wel o v e r a n - d e r e v o r m e n v a n e n e r g i e a l s e l e c t r i c i t e i t , olie, a a r d g a s , e t c . .
In d e e e r s t e helft van de 20e eeuw z i j n het v o o r a l d e Scan- d i n a v i s c h e landen g e w e e s t d i e zich m o e i t e hebben g e t r o o s t het d i r e c t e procédé t e doen h e r l e v e n . In d e p e r i o d e n a d e t w e e d e w e r e l d o o r l o g z i j n het ook d i e landen die beschikken o v e r a a r d g a s , z o a l s b. v. Italië, F r a n k r i j k e n Mexico.
Techriisch is het M. D. -proc6dé uitgegroeid tot e e n vol- w a a r d i g e loot a a n d e s t a m b o o m van d e i j z e r b e r e i d i n g s t e c h - niek. Dat het M.D. - p r o c é d é d e s a l n i e t t e m i n rond h e t midden v a n d e 20e eeuw s l e c h t s e e n m i n i m a l e f r a c t i e v a n d e t o t a l e p r o d u c t i e v o o r h a a r r e k e n i n g n e e m t , is r e c h t s t r e e k s t e wij- t e n a a n e c o n o m i s c h e f a c t o r e n . In v r i j w e l a l l e gevallen s c h i e t h e t M. D. - p r o c é d é op h e t punt v a n k o s t e n t e k o r t t . o. v . d e t r a d i t i o n e l e t o e t s s t e e n , h e t M. I. -procédé.
Van v e e l belang bij d e kostenvergelijking t u s s e n h e t M. D.
e n het M. I. - p r o c é d é is h e t feit, d a t het e e r s t g e n o e m d e s l e c h t s e e n t u s s e n p r o d u c t v e r v a a r d i g t , d a t e e n a a ~ v u l i r c d e bewerking d o o r middel van het o p e n h a a r d p r o c é d é of e e n a n d e r e v a r i a n t
op d e s e c u n d a i r e f a s e van h e t M. I. -proc6d6 behoeft. Het produkt is d e r h a l v e geen substituut v o o r s t a a l , m a a r v o o r r u w i j z e r of s c h r o o t .
D i t betekent d a t in p r i n c i p e het M.D. - p r o c é d é m o e t w o r - d e n v e r g e l e k e n m e t d e p r i m a i r e f a s e van .het M.I. -pro&- d e , h e t cokeshoogovenprocédé.
Op grond van h e t feit, d a t h e t M.D. - p r o c é d é geen g e r e e d produkt v e r v a a r d i g t , m a a r s l e c h t s e e n tussenprodukt dikwijls i n d e v o r m v a n e e n hoofgekoold r u w i j z e r , is h e t g e b r u i k v a n d e kwalificatie " d i r e c t
'
zinledig. D i t is d e r e d e n w a a r - o m m e n m e e r e n m e e r o v e r g a a t tot de o m s c h r i j v i n gi j z e r - bereiding zonder gebruik van een hoogoven.
D a a r w a a r d e positie van het cokeshoogovenproc6dé zwak- k e r wordt d o o r e e n toenemende s c h a a r s t e a a n m e t a l l u r - g i s c h e c o k e s e n e e n d a a r m e e g e p a a r d gaande p r i j s s t i j - ging, wordt d e positie van h e t M. D. -procédé c e t . p a r . s t e r - k e r . D a a r w a a r h e t M.I. -proc6d6 z i c h k e n m e r k t d o o r e e n toenemende efficiency b. v. i n d e v o r m van e e n dalend c o k e s - v e r b r u i k , n e m e n de l e v e n s k a n s e n van h e t M. D. -procéd6 af.
G e z i e n d e v o o r t d u r e n d e veranderingen, zowel van h e t M. D.
-
p r o c é d é a l s h e t M. I. - p r o c é d é o n d e r invloed v a n t e c h n i s c h e - e n e c o n o m i s c h e f a c t o r e n is d e kostenvergelijking van s t e r k d y n a m i s c h e a a r d .
Dat d e v e r b e t e r i n g e n van het M. I. - p r o c é d é niet van on- d e r g e s c h i k t e a a r d z i j n kan worden afgeleid u i t h e t f e i t d a t d e b e s t a a n d e i n s t a l l a t i e s n a a r s c h a t t i n g in d e t o e k o m s t nog 50% m e e r z u l l e n kunnen produceren, hetgeen o v e r e e n zou komen m e t d e g r o e i van de a f z e t tot 1980. Dit geeft i n de gebieden m e t e e n bestaande i n d u s t r i e e e n bijzonder k a r a k - t e r a a n d e kostenvergelijking.
Naast h e t k o s t e n a s p e c t dient ook d e invloed van d e omvang van d e benodigde i n v e s t e r i n g e n bij d e keuze t u s s e n het M. I. - p r o c é d é v e r m e l d te worden. Het M. I. - p r o c é d é o n d e r s c h e i d t z i c h d o o r e e n z e e r efficiënte benutting v a n grond- e n hulp- stoffen, m a a r d e k e e r z i j d e h i e r v a n is d e omvang v a n d e in- v e s t e r i n g e n . B i j h e t d i r e c t e p r o c é d é zijn d e z e i n h e t a l - g e m e e n l a g e r .
Wat b e t r e f t d e momentane t o e p a s s i n g van het M. D. - p r o - c6dé is dit i n d e e e r s t e plaats van betekenis v o o r die g e -
bieden, w a a r e e n "uitzonderingstoestand"heerst, d. w. z. de aanwezigheid van e r t s e n het ontbreken van steenkool, ge- schikt v o o r de bereiding van Cokes, m a a r w a a r men d a a r - entegen wel o v e r e e n substituut beschikt, bijv. in de v o r m van a a r d g a s of goedkope electriciteit. E r bestaat e e n neiging tot differentiatie in die zin dat men de p r i m a i r e fase in het wingebied van het e r t s vestigt en de secundaire fase in het afgezetgebied.
Als men d e balans opmaakt van r u i m een eeuw inspan- ning en offers om het d i r e c t e procede in moderne v o r m t e doen herleven, dan kan niet a n d e r s dan geconcludeerd wor- den d a t d e r e s u l t a t e n v r i j gering zijn in verhouding tot die gebrachte offers.
E r is e c h t e r een andere zienswijze mogelijk. De activi- teiten binnen h e t kader van het M.D. -procede hebben ge- leid tot e e n vergroting van de kennis omtrent alternatieve methoden voor d e bereiding van i j z e r e n s t a a l . E r is op g r o - t e schaal, wat men in het Engels aanduidt a l s backpozmd
applied
r e s e a r c h v e r r i c h t .Aldus beschouwd is het d i r e c t e nut in z e k e r e zin i r r e l e - vant; van belang is het toekomstig nut. Omtrent de omvang hiervan kan u i t e r a a r d geen enkele uitspraak worden gedaan, m a a r wel is z e k e r dat a l s d e huidige energiebron, in de v o r m van steenkool, m e r k b a a r afgenomen z a l zijn e n men op grote s c h a a l moet overgaan op a n d e r e energievormen bij d e i j z e r - e n staalbereiding, zoals aardgas, olie en door mid- d e l van kernenergie opgewekte electriciteit, dat e r dan ge- bruik z a l worden gemaakt van de kennis die e r in de afge-.
lopen eeuw is v e r k r e g e n o m t r e n t d e non-blast fumzace
pro-
c e s s e s .
Vanuit dit standpunt beschouwd moet men waardering heb- ben voor die uitvinders die zich m e t de ontwikkeling van het M. D. -procéde hebben beziggehouden tegen d e econo- mische "wetmatighedën" e n ondanks d e vermanende s t e m m e n van deskundigen. Als men dit woord in dit verband zou mogen gebruiken, dan kan men deze deskundigen het "ver- wijt" maiten, dat z i j hun in wezen hypothetisch oordeel tot absolute geldigheid hebben verheven; e e n oordeel betreffen- d e d e s u p e r i o r i t e i t van het M. I. -procCde, die zou gelden voor a l l e tijden e n onder a l l e omstandigheden.
De tragiek die a c h t e r d e activiteiten op het gebied van het M. D. -procede verborgen ligt, is het f e i t dat vele uitvinders
het falen van hun projecten ongetwijfeld in de e e r s t e plaats hebben geweten a a n het tekortschieten van de technische w a a r - digheid e n kennis, terwijl d e hoofdoorzaak lag bij het (nog) niet gunstige economische klimaat.
De periode die ligt t u s s e n het tijdstip van een technische vinding e n het aanbreken van het juiste economische getij is dikwijls t e lang voor e e n mensenleven.
Daarom is het ook juist t e noemen, dat het M.D. -proce- d6 in de 20e eeuw min of m e e r getrokken is uit de indivi- duele s f e e r e n het object is geworden van g r o t e onderne- mingen e n van overheidsorganen a l s de E.G. K.S.
Het r i s i c o van een project a l s het M.D. -proc6d6, dat mo- gelijkerwijze voor de toekomstige mensheid van grote be- tekenis kan zijn, is t e groot om op d e schouders van i n - dividuele uitvinders t e rusten. Zij dient door collectivitei- ten te worden gedragen.
S U M M A R Y
T h e b a s i s of t h i s s t u d y on the e c o n o m i c a s p e c t s o f ' t h e di-
rect process
f o r t h e m a n u f a c t u r e of i r o n and s t e e l is foun- ded on a double dichotomy. On t h e one hand t h e d i r e c t p r o - c e s s and t h e i n d i r e c t p r o c e s s a r e s e t a g a i n s t o n e a n o t h e r , on t h e o t h e r hand t h e c l a s s i c b a s i c f o r m of e n e r g y , c h a r - coal, and i t s m o d e r n b a s i c f o r m s : coal, oil, n a t u r a l g a s , e t c . T h i s r e s u l t s in f o u r m a i n g r o u p s : t h e ( C ) l a s s i c a l ( D ) i - r e c t - p r o c e s s , t h e ( C ) l a s s i c a l (1)ndirect p r o c e s s t h e ( M ) o d e r n i n d i r e c t - p r o c e s s and t h e ( M ) o d e r n ( D ) i r e c t p r o c e s s . T h e s t a r t i n g - p o i n t is f o r m e d by t h e C . D. -proCess. Due t o t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of t h e b l a s t - f u r n a c e i t is followed b y t h e C. I.-
p r o c e s s , a f t e r which t h e M . I. -proCess c o m e s as a d i r e c t , r e s u l t s of t h e s c a r c i t y o f c h a r c o a l . T h e l a t t e r p r o c e s s is t h e b a s i s of t h e m o d e r n i r o n - and s t e e l - i n d u s t r y .
F r o m t h e mid-19th c e n t u r y o n w a r d s e f f o r t s w e r e m a d e t o r e v i v e t h e d i r e c t p r o c e s s in a m o d e r n f o r m , e s p e c i a l l y by t h o s e c o u n t r i e s which did not d i s p o s e of t h e type of c o a l s u i t a b l e f o r t h e m a n u f a c t u r e of m e t a l l u r g i c a l coke heeded f o r t h e M.I. -proCess, but on t h e c o n t r a r y did d i s p o s e of o t h - e r f o r m s of e n e r g y , s u c h as h y d r o - e l e c t r i c i t y , n a t u r a l g a s , e t c .
In t h e f i r s t p a r t of t h e 20th c e n t u r y t h e Scandinavian coun- t r i e s l e d t h e e f f o r t s t o r e v i v e t h e d i r e c t p r o c e s s . In t h e p e - r i o d a f t e r World W a r I1 t h e y w e r e joined b y t h o s e c o u n t r i e s which d i s p o s e d of n a t u r a l g a s .
T e c h n i c a l l y t h e M. D. -proCess h a s developed i n t o a f u l l - bodied s c i o n t o t h e p e d i g r e e of t h e t e c h n i q u e s of i r o n m a n - u f a c t u r e . T h e f a c t of t h e M. D. -proCess n e v e r t h e l e s s is r e - s p o n s i b l e o n l y f o r a v e r y m i n o r p a r t of t h e t o t a l i r o n m a n - u f a c t u r e about t h e m i d d l e of t h e 20th c e n t u r y , is d i r e c t l y d u e t o e c o n o m i c f a c t o r s . In about al1 c a s e s t h e M. D. - p r o - c e s s f a i l s in point of c o s t s when c o m p a r e d with t h e t r a d i - t i o n a l touchstone, t h e M. I. -proCess.
In c a s e of a c o m p a r i s o n of c o s t s between t h e M . D ,
-
andt h e M. I. -proCess, i t is v e r y i m p o r t a n t t h a t t h e f o r m e r p r o - d u c e s a n i n t e r m e d i a t e product which n e e d s o n l y additional t r e a t m e n t by a n open h e a r t h p r o c e s s o r a n o t h e r v a r i a n t of t h e s e c o n d a r y p h a s e of t h e M. I. -proCess. T h u s t h e product is no s u b s t i t u t e ~f s t e e l , but of c r u d e - i r o n o r s c r a p - i r o n only.
Hence in principle the M. D. -proCess should be compared with the p r i m a r y phase of t h e M. I. -proCess, the coke-blast furnace p r o c e s s .
On account of the fact that the M.D. -proCess produces no final product but an intermediate product only, the u s e of the qualification
direct
has become meaningless. This i s the r e a s o n why the definition"iron manufacture without the use of a blast fumace"
h a s become m o r e and m o r e c u r - rent.Where the positition of the cokeblast furnace p r o c e s s be- comes weaker due to an increasing s c a r c i t y of good m e - tallurgical coke and i t s r i s i n g price, the position of the M. D. -proCess
"ceteris paribus 'I
becomes s t r o n g e r . Where the M. I. -proCess i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d by a n increasing efficiency in the f o r m of a decreasing consumption of coke, the chances f o r the M. D. -proCess lessen.Inview of the continuous changes both of the M. D. -proCess and the M. I. -proCess under the influence of technica1 and economic f a c t o r s , the comparison of c o s t s for the two of them i s of a dynamic nature.
The improvements of the M. I. -proCess a r e not of secon- d a r y nature. At a rough estimate the existing installations wil1 be able t o produce another 50 p e r cent which would c o r - respond with the growing s a l e until 1980. In the a r e a s having an industry already, this pives a special slant to the com- parison of c o s t s .
Beside the aspect of costs, we should also mention the in- fluence of the volume of the n e c e s s a r y investments when a choice between the M. D. -proCess and the M.I. -proCess is to be made. The M . I . -proCess stands out by a v e r y effi- cient utilization of raw and auxiliary m a t e r i a l s , the volume of investments however being the r e v e r s e side thereof. With the direct p r o c e s s the investments a r e considerably lower.
With r e g a r d to the present application of the M. D. -pro- c e s s we should mention in the f i r s t place that it i s i m p o r - tant to those a r e a s being in an exceptional position, i. e. the presence of o r e s and the lacking of coal suited for the man- ufacture of coke, but where on the other hand a substitute i s available, e. g . in the form of clieap electricity, oil and natura1 gas. T h e r e i s a tendency to differentiation in that way, that the p r i m a r y s t a g e i s established in the production
a r e a of the o r e , and the secondary s t a g e in the environment of the m a r k e t a r e a . It m a y be of importance t o under-de- veloped countries having a s c a r c i t y of capita1 and r e s t r i c t e d s a l e s . On account of the disposal of o r e s , n a t u r a l g a s o r cheap e l e c t r i c i t y it will be b e t t e r to consider the p r o c e s s in the s t a g e a s a complement r a t h e r than a s a substitute of the M. I. -procesS.
When drawing up the accounts of over a century of efforts t o revive the d i r e c t p r o c e s s in a modern form, one cannot but conclude that the few advantages of the M. D. -proCess up t o now, b e a r no d i r e c t proportion t o the amount of s a c - r i f i c e s made.
However, a different point of view is possible. The a c - tivities within the framework of the M. D. -proCess led to an enlargement of knowledge about alternative methods f o r the manufacture of i r o n and s t e e l . On a big s c a l e so-called
back- ground applied research
h a s been mede.Al1 considered the p r e s e n t d i r e c t benefit is in a way ir- relevant, but the f u t u r e benefit is of importance. Naturally we cannot give a n y opinion about i t s extent, but on the oth- e r hand the fact r e m a i n s that the knowledge obtained in the past c e n t u r y r e g a r d i n g the
"non-blast furnace processes",
will be applied, when the p r e s e n t s o u r c e of e n e r g y in the f o r m of coal will have d e c r e a s e d considerably and when it will be n e c e s s a r y t o change o v e r on a l a r g e s c a l e to o t h e r types of energy, such a s n a t u r a l gas, oil and e l e c t r i c i t y generated by m e a n s of n u c l e a r e n e r g y in the i r o n and s t e e l - manufacture.Strangely f r o m t h i s point of view, we m u s t applaud s i n - c e r e l y that c e r t a i n inventors a r e s t i l l engaged in the devel- opment of the M. D. -proCess notwithstanding the econornic
t 1
laws" and the admonition of e x p e r t s . The e r r o r made by m a n y experts, h a s been elevating t o the s t a t u s of absolute validity a n e s s e n t i a l l y hypothetic opinion regarding the supe- r i o r i t y of the
m.
I. -procesS. The t r a g e d y hidden behind the activities in t h e field of the PJI. D. -proCess, is the fact that many inventors have no doubt blamed t h e i r lack of techni- c a l ski11 and knowledge f o r the failure of t h e i r projects, whereas the ma-in r e a s o n was the-
a s yet-
unfriendly e - conomic climate.T h e period between the birth of a technica1 invention and that of the supporting econornic tide, often is too long f o r
a n o r m a l living promotor o r inventor.
That i s the r e a s o n why i t is c o r r e c t to s a y that in the 20th century the M. D. -proCess h a s been drawn f r o m the in- dividual domain, and h a s become the object of big concerns and public bodies, such a s the European Coal and Steel Com- munity.
The r i s k s of a project like the M. D. -proCess which pos- sibly is of g r e a t importance to future mankind, a r e too big t o r e s t uponthe shoulders of individual inventors, and should be born collectively.
