Abstract: In the manufacture of hot-rolled steel strip, a continuous casting machine casts a slab and a roll stand for reducing the thickness of the slab to make strip is incorporated in line with the continuous casting machine. Advantages of simplicity and rolling quality are obtained when the roll stand is a two-high roll stand having a single pair of rolls. Where there is a reheater for reheating the strip after its rolling in the two-high roll-stand, the two-high roll stand is the sole apparatus for reducing the thickness of the slab after full solidification of the slab and prior to entry of the strip into the reheater.

Abstract: A liquid-cooled lance for blowing oxygen onto a bath of molten steel, has a tip (1) with at least one outlet from which a primary supply of oxygen is blown onto the bath, a central duct (2) for the supply of the primary oxygen surrounded by a double tube system (3,4) for supply and removal of cooling fluid, a plurality of secondary outlets (15) disposed around the lance in a conical widening of the lance axially spaced from the tip for blowing a secondary supply of oxygen and a plurality of secondary ducts (8, 9) extending along the lance for supply of the secondary oxygen to the secondary outlets. To obtain a high maximum possible scrap addition, and good control of final oxygen blowing temperature, there are at least eight of the secondary outlets (15) each having a diameter d.sub.s which satisfies the condition d.sub.s /1<0.02 where 1 is the axial distance between the outlets for respectively the primary and secondary oxygen.

Abstract: A process of producing steel in a converter, wherein the starting materials comprise pig iron and ferrous scrap, involves blowing of oxygen into the molten metal bath in the converter. Advantageous results, in particular savings of Fe and Mn and in the amount of liquid metal used, are obtained by the combination of the following process steps:(a) during at least part of the time of blowing oxygen into the bath, inert gas is passed through the bottom of converter into the bath,(b) during at least part of the time of blowing oxygen into the bath, secondary oxygen is blown into the atmosphere above the bath,(c) at least once during the time of blowing oxygen into the bath, carbon is added to the reaction from above.