Metallurgical Research, Development and Raw Materials Sourcing for the Development of Steel Industries in Nigeria
Abstract
It has been said that no meaningful industrialisation can take place in a nation without Iron and Steel. In fact, Iron and Steel are the bedrock of Nigeria‟s industrialisation and ultimate factor in the realisation of our industrialisation efforts. Most of the Steel industries have been constructed and erected and they have to go into full operation in view of the huge money already sunk into these projects and the relative irreversibility of investment. Metallurgical Research and Development is needed to further discover the use of locally sourced raw materials for the operation of these industries. Apparently, most of the imported raw materials are expensive and some time difficult to import due to bureaucratic process and challenges faced at the present stage of steel development in Nigeria. The need for sustained availability of the raw materials for these steel industries calls for drastic reduction in the imported raw materials. This paper will therefore focus on various Metallurgical Research, Development and Raw materials sourcing for use in metallurgical industries. The paper further highlights the raw materials needs for steel production; processes for metallurgical coke and of refractory clay were reviewed. Local deposits of these materials were mentioned. The future of metallurgical research and development were brought to the fore and finally some suggestions and recommendations were given which will assist Government, stakeholders and those that are involved in the practice of metallurgical engineering with emphasis on the steel industries.
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