Abstract: A molten metal component estimation device including: an input device configured to receive measurement information about a refining facility including measurement results regarding an optical characteristic; a model database that stores model expressions and model parameters, regarding a blowing process reaction, including a model expression and model parameters representing a relation between the oxygen efficiency in decarburization and a carbon concentration in a molten metal in the refining facility; and a processor configured to: estimate component concentrations of the molten metal including the carbon concentration in the molten metal by using the measurement information, the model expressions and the model parameters; estimate the carbon concentration in the molten metal based on the measurement results; and determine the model expression and the model parameters to be used when estimating the component concentrations of the molten metal, based on the estimation result of the carbon concentration in t

Abstract: A top-blowing lance nozzle is configured to freely switch an adequate expansion condition so as to control an oxygen-blowing amount and a jetting velocity independently of each other without requiring a plurality of lance nozzles or a mechanically movable part. A lance nozzle is configured to blow refining oxygen to molten iron charged in a reaction vessel while a gas is blown from a top-blowing lance to the molten iron. One or more blowing holes for blowing a working gas are on an inner wall side surface of the nozzle, at a site where the lance nozzle has a minimum cross-sectional area in a nozzle axis direction or at a neighboring site of the site.

Abstract: A molten iron refining method having, an auxiliary material, and an oxidizing gas supplied through a top-blowing lance, to a cold iron source and molten pig iron that are contained/fed in a converter-type vessel, and molten iron is subjected to a refining process. A pre-charged cold iron source is charged into the converter-type vessel at an amount not larger than 0.15 times. A furnace-top-added cold iron source that's part or all of the cold iron source and added from a furnace top is fed during the refining process. A burner at a leading end of the top-blowing lance that spray holes through which a fuel and a combustion-supporting gas are ejected. During the refining process, a powdery auxiliary material processed into powder that's part of the auxiliary material is blown in, to pass through a flame formed by the burner.

Abstract: A method that, regarding a process of refining molten iron, can increase the thermal margin and the amount of cold iron source to be used. A burner having jetting holes for jetting a fuel and a combustion supporting gas is provided at a leading end part of one lance that top-blows an oxidizing gas to molten iron contained in a converter-type vessel, or at a leading end part of another separate lance. A powdery auxiliary raw material or an auxiliary raw material processed into a powder form that is blown into the molten iron from the one lance or the other lance passes through a flame formed by the burner. This top-blowing lance for a converter is configured to secure a predetermined heating time and powder-fuel ratio. Also, a method for adding an auxiliary raw material and a method for refining of molten iron that use this top-blowing lance.

Abstract: Proposed is a molten iron refining method capable of securing an in-flame staying time period of a heat transfer medium without being influenced by height adjustments of a blowing-purpose oxygen-blowing lance. As far as to a position lower than an upper end inside a converter-type vessel 1, a blowing-purpose oxygen-blowing lance 3 that supplies oxidizing gas and is capable of ascending and descending and at least one burner lance 4 capable of ascending and descending independently of the blowing-purpose oxygen-blowing lance are inserted. From the blowing-purpose oxygen-blowing lance, either oxidizing gas or oxidizing gas and CaO-containing refining agent are blown onto the molten iron. Also, a flame is formed by causing the burner lance to discharge fuel gas and combustion supporting gas. Powder particles discharged from the burner lance are caused to pass through the flame and to be blown onto the molten iron in a heat-transferred state, so that the molten iron is thermally compensated.

Abstract: A converter blowing control method includes: calculating, by heat balance calculation and material balance calculation, an amount of oxygen supplied and an amount of a cooling material or a rising heat material charged to control a temperature and a component concentration of molten steel at end of blowing in a converter to target values; controlling the blowing in the converter based on the calculated amount of oxygen supplied and the calculated amount of a cooling material or a rising heat material charged; estimating a pre-blowing molten iron temperature that is a temperature of molten iron used as a raw material for blowing to be a target of the heat balance calculation, charged into the converter, and is in a state immediately before start of the blowing; and using the estimated pre-blowing molten iron temperature as a charged molten iron temperature in the heat balance calculation.

Abstract: A refining process control device includes: a past similar performance extraction unit configured to extract, from the refining performance database, a performance value of a past refining process in which a refining condition being a refining process condition acquired before the start of the refining process and including a result of an immediately preceding refining process in the refining facility, is similar to a refining process condition as a calculation target and the evaluation value is high; and an operation amount determination unit configured to determine an initial operation amount at the start of a refining process based on the performance value of the past refining process extracted by the past similar performance extraction unit, and determine an operation amount based on a change amount of the initial operation amount after the start of the refining process.

Abstract: A converter blowing control method includes: calculating, by heat balance calculation and material balance calculation, an amount of oxygen to be supplied and an amount of a cooling material or a rising heat material to be charged for controlling a temperature and a component concentration of molten steel at end of blowing in a converter to target values; and controlling the blowing in the converter based on the calculated amount of oxygen to be supplied and the calculated amount of a cooling material or a rising heat material to be charged. A temperature of molten iron is used as a raw material for blowing, which is a target of the heat balance calculation, is used as a charged molten iron temperature used in the heat balance calculation, the temperature of molten iron being measured during a period when the molten iron is charged into the converter.

Abstract: A toner having a toner particle including a toner base particle and an organosilicon polymer coating the toner base particle, wherein when S1 (?m2) is a total area of a non-coated part not coated with the organosilicon polymer on an outermost surface of the toner particle, S2 (?m2) is a total area of a coated part coated with the organosilicon polymer on the outermost surface of the toner particle, and SA1 (?m2) is a total of areas of non-coated part domains D1 with an area of not more than 0.10 ?m2 in size in the non-coated part not coated with the organosilicon polymer, formulae (1) and (2) below are satisfied. 0.45?[S2/(S1+S2)]?0.65??(1) (SA1/S1)?0.

Abstract: A loop-type flash drying apparatus configured to dry an object to be treated with a gas by supplying the object into a gas stream circulating in a loop-type drying pipe, wherein the loop-type flash drying apparatus includes: (i) a loop-type drying pipe; (ii) a feeding port configured to feed an object to be treated into the drying pipe; (iii) a second blowing port configured to blow a gas into the drying pipe; (iv) a discharge port configured to discharge the object from the drying pipe; (v) a discharge region formed by the drying pipe and the discharge port; and (vi) a first blowing port through which a gas for accelerating a gas flowing in the discharge region is linearly blown toward the discharge region.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing toner particles, including a step of drying wet toner particles with a drying unit, the wet toner particles being obtained from an aqueous dispersion medium, wherein the drying unit includes a loop-type flash dryer in which the wet toner particles to be dried are supplied to a gas stream circulating in a loop-type drying pipe, the loop-type flash dryer includes: (i) a loop-type drying pipe; (ii) an inlet port for supplying wet toner particles to the loop-type drying pipe; (iii) an outlet port for discharging dried toner particles from the loop-type drying pipe; (iv) a first blowing port for blowing gas into the loop-type drying pipe; and (v) second blowing ports for blowing gas into the loop-type drying pipe.

Abstract: A method and system for predicting slopping in a converter occurring during decarburization refining in the converter in which molten steel is produced from a molten pig iron by blowing oxidizing gas to the molten pig iron in the converter from a top blowing lance, or optionally further blowing oxidizing gas or inert gas from a bottom blowing tuyere to perform the decarburization refining of the molten pig iron. The method includes measuring an emission spectrum of a throat combustion flame blowing out from a throat of the converter, calculating emission intensity of the measured emission spectrum at a wavelength in a range of 580 to 620 nm, and predicting the occurrence of the slopping based on a time-series change of the calculated emission intensity.

Abstract: A top-blowing lance nozzle is configured to freely switch an adequate expansion condition so as to control an oxygen-blowing amount and a jetting velocity independently of each other without requiring a plurality of lance nozzles or a mechanically movable part. A lance nozzle is configured to blow refining oxygen to molten iron charged in a reaction vessel while a gas is blown from a top-blowing lance to the molten iron. One or more blowing holes for blowing a working gas are on an inner wall side surface of the nozzle, at a site where the lance nozzle has a minimum cross-sectional area in a nozzle axis direction or at a neighboring site of the site.

Abstract: In a method for oxygen-blowing refining of molten iron, an oxygen-containing gas as a main supply gas is supplied from an inlet side of a blowing nozzle for the oxygen-containing gas passing through an outer shell of the top-blowing lance and blown from the blowing nozzle while a control gas is jetted toward inside of the blowing nozzle for at least part of a period of the oxygen-blowing refining from a spout arranged in a side face of the nozzle at a site where the cross-sectional area of the nozzle minimum takes the minimum in the axial direction of the nozzle or a neighborhood thereof so that at least part of the spout exists in each space formed by dividing into two portions by an arbitrary plane passing through a central axis of the nozzle.

Abstract: Toner comprising a toner particle comprising a core particle comprising a binder resin and a shell formed on a surface of the core particle, wherein given YA (number %) as an abundance ratio of particles with a particle perimeter of less than 6.332 ?m, in a dispersion of the toner treated under the following ultrasound condition A, given XB as an average aspect ratio of the toner and YB (number %) as an abundance ratio of particles with a particle perimeter of less than 6.332 ?m, in a dispersion of the toner treated under the following ultrasound condition B, 0.75?XB?0.85 and 0.10?YA?YB?2.50 are satisfied: where ultrasound condition A: output frequency 30 kHz, output capacity 15 W, ultrasound intensity 100%, exposure time 300 s, and ultrasound condition B: output frequency 30 kHz, output capacity 15 W, ultrasound intensity 5%, exposure time 300 s.

Abstract: A production method of a toner having a toner particle that contains a binder resin and an external additive that is externally added to the toner particle, wherein the production method has a toner particle dispersion step of obtaining a toner particle dispersion by dispersing the toner particle and an inorganic dispersant in an aqueous medium; and an external addition step of externally adding the external additive to the toner particle through addition of the external additive to the toner particle dispersion.

Abstract: A toner having a toner particle including a toner base particle and an organosilicon polymer coating the toner base particle, wherein when S1 (?m2) is a total area of a non-coated part not coated with the organosilicon polymer on an outermost surface of the toner particle, S2 (?m2) is a total area of a coated part coated with the organosilicon polymer on the outermost surface of the toner particle, and SA1 (?m2) is a total of areas of non-coated part domains D1 with an area of not more than 0.10 ?m2 in size in the non-coated part not coated with the organosilicon polymer, formulae (1) and (2) below are satisfied. 0.45?[S2/(S1+S2)]?0.65??(1) (SA1/S1)?0.

Abstract: When the decarburization refining of molten iron is performed by top-blowing oxygen gas from the top blowing lance, the oscillation of molten iron, a bubble burst, and spitting due to the bubble burst are suppressed. A refining method for a converter includes decarburizing molten iron in the converter with a top blowing lance having Laval nozzles disposed at the lower end thereof by blowing oxygen gas on the surface of the molten iron in the converter through the Laval nozzles, in which one or both of an oxygen feeding rate from the top blowing lance and lance height LH are adjusted in such a manner that an oxygen accumulation index S(F) is 40 or less.

Abstract: A toner comprising: a toner particle that includes a binder resin, and an external additive, wherein the toner particle includes a polyester resin on the surface; the toner particle includes a polyvalent metal element; where an electrical resistivity of the polyvalent metal element at 20° C. is denoted by A ?·m, and an amount of the polyvalent metal element in the toner particle is denoted by B ?mol/g, a following relationship is satisfied: 0.025×108?(1/A)×B?4.500×108; the external additive includes silica particles; and the silica particles includes spherical silica particles having a number average particle diameter of from 20 nm to 40 nm.

Abstract: A toner comprising: a toner particle; and an external additive, wherein the external additive includes spherical silica particles and hydrotalcite particles, a number average particle diameter Da of the spherical silica particles is from 10 nm to 40 nm, a circularity of the spherical silica particles is at least 0.80, and the toner satisfies formula (1) below: {Ga×(1?Ka/100)}/{Gb×(1?Kb/100)}?0.050??(1) wherein Ga: a content of the spherical silica particles with respect to 100 parts by mass of the toner particle; Gb: a content of the hydrotalcite particles with respect to 100 parts by mass of the toner particle; Ka: a fixing ratio (%) of the spherical silica particles on a surface of the toner particle; and Kb: a fixing ratio (%) of the hydrotalcite particles on the surface of the toner particle.