Why are temperature and humidity important for the steel industry?

Read how you can guarantee good product quality and healther environments for workers.

Humidity causes corrosion on the steel. Humidity rises along with the temperature, in other words humidity changes depending on temperature. So, corrosion activity depends on the temperature of the surroundings. Especially in the cooling step of the steel, when the surface of the steel falls below the surrounding temperature, condensation will occur, and moisture will form on the surface of the steel. This will cause corrosion. When cooling is done at night, the temperature rises again when the sun rises, causing moisture to condense on cold metal surfaces. The steel’s chemical reactions and crystal structure can be affected by the temperature and humidity throughout this process, which can have an impact on the steel’s strength, durability, and other qualities. ‘Steelmaking facilities require continuous temperature measurements throughout the manufacturing process, to ensure consistent product quality and high productivity.’ (1) Monitoring temperature is essential for high-end quality products.

Thermoregulation is so strictly controlled in the mechanical industry and steel mills that even minimal temperature differences can result in variations that have significant negative effects on the functionality of the components. Therefore, heating, and cooling cycles are planned during the steel-making process to provide key technical and physical qualities in the final product.

‘Nothing is more important than the safety and health of people who work in the steel industry.’ (2) While producing steel, extreme temperatures (-180 to +1700 centigrade degrees) can occur because of blast furnaces, continuous casting, foundries, rolling mills, and cryogenic oxygen plants. This heat exposure affects the workers’ health and productivity negatively. The radiant heat from the cokes and furnaces causes thermal stress, especially on hot summer days. This excess heat can cause higher body temperature, sweating, excessive thirst, fatigue, and muscular discomfort in workers. Monitoring temperature is essential for worker safety.

To sum up, to guarantee that the finished product complies with the required criteria and regulations, it is crucial for the steel industry to carefully control and monitor temperature and humidity levels. Temperature monitoring should be used in industrial settings to create a safer workplace for workers and to have an efficient production process. ‘A measurement system would be helpful in achieving safe and cost-effective steelmaking with good product quality and high productivity.’ (1) Not only in the steel industry but also in other industrial settings temperature monitoring is always crucial for workers’ safety, and products’ quality. Controlling the temperature will give you consistent results of the final good. Discover the wireless and wired IoT solutions by Next Industries for this type of application, capable of transmitting data even over long distances and in difficult environmental conditions.

References:

(1) Roman, M., Balogun, D., Zhuang, Y., Gerald, R. E., Bartlett, L., J., R., & Huang, J. A Spatially Distributed Fiber-Optic Temperature Sensor for Applications in the Steel Industry. Sensors, 20(14), 3900. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20143900

(2) World Steel Association 2020, Safety and Health in the Steel Industry, Belgium, https://worldsteel.org/wp-content/uploads/Safety-and-health-in-the-steel-industry.pdf

India Ministry of Steel 2019, 25 Safety Guidelines for Iron & Steel Sector,

https://steel.gov.in/sites/default/files/Framework%20Document%20for%20Safety%20Guidelines.pdf