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The Alloy Calculator

The QMOS Alloy Calculator is used to calculate alloy additions during steelmaking.  Ferroalloys often contain other elements, such as Carbon, in addition to the desired element, such as Manganese.

QMOS accounts for the effect of these additional elements.  For example, an unexpected increase in Carbon matters greatly in making low carbon steel grades.  To limit the impact of secondary elements, QMOS’s calculations are based on a predefined sequence of alloy additions and such control has effectively minimized the use of expensive, low-carbon, high-purity Ferromanganese master alloys. 

The Alloy Calculator is greatly appreciated for its flexibility.  Since fine particles dissolve more quickly and show a higher yield than coarse particles, QMOS allows a yield parameter for different bulk densities of a given alloy material to be defined. The latest version of QMOS uses Statistical Process Control (SPC) to automatically adjust recovery rates. That is, the actual weight of Manganese that ends up in the steel from a Ferromanganese to minimize the error due to supplier variations. 

Heat size is a significant variable used by the Alloy Calculator functionality as well.  If the Tap Weight is unavailable, it is calculated using algorithms based on the weight of the scrap charge.  The Alloy Calculator capability goes a step further by calculating the steel composition needed to achieve certain mechanical properties.  For example, the percentage weights of the elements which dictate yield strength are combined iteratively using constant tensile strength components until a steel with a given yield strength is obtained.  Consequently, the necessary alloy additions are computed; a methodology that is remarkably efficient in practice.

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