The previous volumes of this series treat the general physio-chemical principles of ironmaking and the thermal pretreatment of iron ores (Volume 1), the principles of ore reduction, and the technical details of the ore reduction processes outside of the blast furnace (Volume 2), and the production of hot metal in the blast furnace (Volumes 3 and 4). During the past decades the theory of the processes involved in the production, treatment, and solidification of steel has been intensively studied. Two volumes (5 and 6) were therefore devoted to the theory of steelmaking. The technology and metallurgy of steelmaking have been expanded and developed into a broad and multifaceted technical field. Progress in converter technology and secondary metallurgy has been especially impressive. But even in the field of electric furnace steel production alternative ideas have been developed in the last few years. Volume 7 gives a thorough review of the raw materials and additives important in steelmaking; also discussed is the sampling of hot metal and liquid steel and the measurement of temperature. In addition, the unfired processes of steelmaking are discussed in Volume 7. The fired processes are covered in Volume 8. The central theme of Volume 8 is electric steelmaking, of paramount importance for the future. A separate section is devoted to continuous steelmaking. Volume 9 deals with secondary metallurgy, remelting processes and the automation of steelmaking processes. The deoxidation, desulfurization and dephosphorization of liquid steel are discussed first. Later chapters deal with gas purging processes, vacuum metallurgy and the production of low-carbon high-chromium steels. The most important remelting processes, respectively vacuum arc, electroslag and electron beam, are discussed. To supplement the exhaustive process descriptions in volumes 7 and 8 the automation possibilities for automating the electric furnace process are discussed in this volume.
