Ruhrstahl-Heraeus process with mechanical vacuum pumps: absurdity or red-hot technology and money well spent?

After a hesitant start to the replacement of steam ejectors in steel degassing with mechanical vacuum pumps, the latter have become state of the art in vacuum degassing and increasingly in vacuum oxygen de-carburization installations. While there may have been early concerns about the mechanical vacuum pump’s suitability for production, it has proven reliable in the global steel industry, many with high production cycles. The advantages are clear: the initial higher investment is returned rapidly by significantly lower cost of ownership and reduced downtime, and the lower carbon footprint serves the requirements of modern steel plants in meeting environmental concerns and legislative requirements.