Steelmaking
Process

The Butler Division is in the vanguard of steelmakers that converts high-grade steel scrap into new prime steel using innovative, high-tech mini-mill technology. Because it uses fewer natural resources and less energy, the mini-mill steelmaking process is more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than the traditional integrated steelmaking method. In the mini-mill process, high-grade steel scrap is combined with pig iron, hot briquetted iron (HBI) and other metals and melted at a temperature of approximately 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit in an electric-arc furnace (EAF). The exact mixture is determined by each customer’s specifications. After other important steps are completed, the steel, now cooled, goes through a thin-slab caster, a tunnel furnace and the seven-stand hot mill, where it’s reduced in thickness to match customer orders. The steel may then undergo further value-added finishing processes if requested by the customer.

Learn how our Flat Roll Group uses environmentally friendly mini-mill technology to turn scrap steel into new steel products. See the entire process as scrap steel is collected, melted, cast, rolled into new steel and further processed into the highest-quality value-added steel products that are used in countless applications in a wide variety of markets.