February 5-6 , 2008 - The Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee (LSROC) met on Feb. 5–6 in Texas for their winter meeting. The members met on Feb. 5 at Nucor Steel–Texas for an overview and tour of the recently built meltshop and caster. A single AC furnace taps 100 tons of steel approximately every 25 minutes. The heat is then treated at a twin-station ladle metallurgy facility and delivered to the 5-strand billet caster. The employees at Nucor Texas were very proud of their high production capabilities and excellent safety record. From the bottom to the top, all the employees looked for ways to make sure that “no one gets hurt on [their] shift today.” The business and technical portion of the meeting was held on Feb. 6. Members and guests introduced themselves, and reviews of the AIST Antitrust Guidelines and AIST announcements were given. The committee chair gave an update on the five LSROC technical sessions organized for AISTech 2008. Out of 27 potential presentation slots, the committee has 26 papers identified and 23 papers confirmed. All the authors will be contacted by their respective session chairs to ensure that their final papers and registrations for AISTech are completed. A review was then provided regarding the integration of committee activities between AISI and AIST. The leadership of the AISI committees related to the LSROC activities will be contacted to begin arranging co-located meetings and joint activities. The members then began a discussion on developing a steelmaking refractory training seminar, which would be used to train new hires and individuals unfamilar with refractories regarding their properties, proper material selection, uses, and how operations impact their performance. A subcommittee chaired by Jimmy Barrett of ArcelorMittal Sparrows Point was organized, and members volunteered to assist Mr. Barrett. Refractory suppliers and steel producers will jointly develop an outline for the training seminar to ensure the material covered will be beneficial to their target audience. The LSROC also intends to have a plant tour with the conference, as well as co-locate the conference with an AIST Member Chapter event, as other AIST Training Seminars have done. The technical presentations concluded the meeting. Rick Hrechko of Gerdau Ameristeel–Sand Springs presented the results of a ladle stir survey that was completed in 2007. Monty Parker of Nucor Steel–Texas presented an overview of the recent meltshop installation at Nucor Texas and their ladle refractory program. Bill Boesen, LWB Refractories, presented his study on ladle refractory designs at Charter Steel–Saukville. The next LSROC meeting will be at AISTech 2008 on Tuesday, May 6.

October 3-4 , 2007 - The Oxygen Steelmaking (OSOC) and Ladle and Secondary Refining (LSROC) operating committees held a joint meeting on Oct. 3–4 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Canada. The meeting began with a tour of the Algoma Steel No. 2 BOSP facility. Of particular interest to the groups were Algoma Steel’s BOF hood system, slag control devices, slag splashing practices and their ladle metallurgy station. Following the tour, the committees held a group dinner as an additional opportunity to meet old and new friends and to share ideas. The technical presentations kicked off the meeting on Oct. 4. Algoma Steel and ArcelorMittal – Inland No. 4 Steel Production both presented their BOF slag splashing practices. ArcelorMittal – Sparrows Point presented their ladle lining practices, which have helped them achieve 400 heats per ladle lining. GSB Group presented their technology on stirring lances, while RHI AG presented a European perspective on ladle lining and purging practices. The Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee also presented information on the proper selection of refractories for steel ladles. Following the technical presentations, the two committees conducted separate business meetings.

During the ensuing business meeting, the OSOC reviewed the progress made on their technical sessions for AISTech 2008. Currently, six sessions are planned on such topics as environmental programs, maintenance and equipment, productivity, slag carryover and a panel discussion on scrap processing. The members then discussed the current status of the BOF Roundup, which was printed in the November 2007 issue of Iron & Steel Technology magazine. The meeting wrapped up with a review of the OSOC’s study tour of Germany and joint meeting with VDEh Stahlinstitut in November. Thirty members planned to attend the week-long event, which includes five steel mill tours, technical presentations by both North American and German steel producers, visits to three steel mill equipment suppliers, as well as Stahl 2007 — Day of Steel in Düsseldorf on Nov. 8. The next OSOC meeting will be Jan. 23–24, 2008, in Westlake, Ohio. This meeting will be held in conjunction with a technology kickoff event by Energy Industries of Ohio and Oak Ridge National Laboratory on their latest advancement in BOF hood material. Also included in the meeting will be a tour of Republic Engineered Products – Lorain Works and additional technical discussions on lance systems, lance practices and maintenance.

The LSROC finalized their paper selections for AISTech 2008 and organized volunteers for chairing the technical sessions. Currently, the LSROC plans to have sessions on ladle refractories, ladle metallurgy and inclusion control. They also continued discussion on developing a ladle refractory training program for the steel industry, to be held sometime in 2008. The next meeting was planned for February 2008, with the location to be determined.

August 28 , 2007 - The Ladle Design Subcommittee of the Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee met on Aug. 28 at Middough Associates in Cleveland, Ohio, to finalize the revisions for Technical Report No. 9, Specification for the Design and Use of Ladles (TR9). The table detailing minimum sidewall plate thickness (formerly Table I-7) was revised, as material selection for ladle sidewalls should be based on design service temperatures. Figures were created to accurately show bottom designs for flat-bottomed, flat-bottomed with support ribs, dished-bottomed and ellipsoidal-bottomed ladles. A note was added that reinforcing plates in ladle bottoms minimize only bottom refractory deflection and do not aid the structural integrity of the ladle bottom. The section on design shear stress was updated and simplified to refer to the newly created Appendixes E and F, which contain the design stresses, allowable stresses and the moduli of elasticity tables for ladle components. The symbology was then reviewed and updated to reflect the many changes to equations and figures that have occurred during the revision to the report. It was also determined that a committee member will create a design example using the new revisions to be included in the final print, and another member volunteered to review the Owner’s Information Sheet to ensure that the requested information is accurate with current practices of designing ladles through a fabricator. The next Ladle Design Subcommittee meeting will be held mid-December at Middough Associates, where the committee will complete the revisions to TR9 and prepare the document for ballot draft.

May 9, 2007 - The Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee (LSROC) held a brief lunch meeting on May 9 in conjuction with AISTech 2007. After attendee introductions, an update on committee membership and a few association announcements, the members elected officers to lead the committee for the following year. Kevin Cotchen, SMS Demag, was elected chair; Chad Clark, Gallatin Steel, was elected vice chair; and Jörg Peter, Cascade Steel, was elected papers chair. A discussion ensued regarding pre-planning for the LSROC sessions for AISTech 2008, to be held in Pittsburgh, Pa., May 5–8, 2008. A subcommittee was organized to assist the papers chair in his efforts to coordinate sessions for the conference, and its members will begin actively pursuing papers in the areas of inclusion removal, vacuum degassing, ladle refractories and ladle metallurgy. The committee will also consider supporting the AIST Northeastern Ohio Member Chapter in its AISTech 2008 Preview Meeting in March 2008. The LSROC then welcomed Mike Strelbisky, of Tallman Bronze, the newly elected chair of the Oxygen Steelmaking Operating Committee (OSOC). Mr. Strelbisky invited the LSROC to join the OSOC members in a joint meeting on Oct. 3–4, 2007, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Canada. The meeting will include technical presentations on ladle treatment and a tour of the BOSP at Algoma Steel.

March 29, 2007 - The Ladle Design Subcommittee of the Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee met at Middough Associates in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 29 to finalize the revisions to AIST Technical Report No. 9, Specification for Design and Use of Ladles. After member introductions and an update on AIST activities, appendixes were created to provide tabulated values for steel materials on tensile, yield and allowable stresses, as well as a table for modulus of elasticity. An additional appendix was created for steel grades that have been discontinued for ladle fabrication but are still used in many steel ladles in the industry. Information on rivets and body-bound bolts was confirmed and inserted into an appendix for those components. The committee then heard comments by a member who fabricates ladles and had noticed potential conflicts between the revised document and actual practice. A discussion ensued regarding the gap tolerances between the trunnion block and sidewall shell, and the document was revised to reflect real-life practices. Revisions were then made concerning mandatory, recommended and suggested nondestructive examination on final fabricated ladles, also to reflect current practice. The meeting concluded with a discussion on the few remaining report topics requiring revision, and members were assigned the responsibility to complete those revisions by the next meeting.

February 7, 2007 - On Feb. 7, 2007, the Electric Steelmaking Operating Committee (ESOC) and the Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee (LSROC) met in San Antonio, Texas, to participate in a tour of the CMC Steel Texas meltshop. The tour was held in conjunction with AIST’s Specialty Conference, “Modern Electric Furnace Steelmaking — A Practical Training Seminar.” The tour included the recently installed EAF and caster at CMC Texas.
On Feb. 8, both committees attended technical presentations focused on EAF and ladle refining. John Jetkiwicz, incoming AIST Electric Steelmaking Technology Division board member, gave a presentation on the new EAF installation at CMC Steel Texas and its future production objectives. Jeremy Jones of Nupro Inc. gave a presentation on the technical aspects of utilizing a near-infrared camera to limit EAF slag carryover into the refining ladle. Mike Butler of Gerdau Ameristeel–Beaumont presented fundamental information on ladle slag treatment for both aluminum- and silicon-killed steelmaking practices. Monty Parker Jr. of Nucor Steel–Texas gave an overview of and update on the new meltshop at Nucor Steel–Texas. Following the technical discussion, the ESOC approved the name change for its sister Operating Commitee, the Specialty Steelmaking Operating Committee; the new name will be the Specialty Alloy and Foundry Operating Committee, to reflect the membership’s diverse background, which includes stainless steelmakers as well as alloy producers and foundries. The ESOC then reviewed the status of the Electric Steelmaking technical sessions for AISTech 2007. Additional session chairs were identified and were instructed to contact the authors in order to ensure the authors’ registration and timely submission of technical papers. “Modern Electric Furnace Steelmaking — A Practical Training Seminar,” which was in progress, was then reviewed. The committee agreed to continue the current program’s format for 2008 and identified potential locations for next year’s seminar. The ESOC adjourned the business meeting prior to lunch.

After lunch, the Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee had a business meeting, in which the AISTech 2007 LSROC technical sessions were discussed. Additional papers were added to the sessions, and additional session chairs were identified. The papers chair for the committee agreed to contact the authors of the last remaining uncommitted papers for the sessions. The members then discussed potential nominees for the 2008 AIST Association-level Awards. Suggestions were made for the 2008 Sendzimir Award, which is awarded for significant contributions to the production of iron and steel. The potential candidates’ backgrounds will be compiled and reviewed to determine if any of the individuals should be nominated for such a prestigious award. A discussion was also held on potential topics for the upcoming fall LSROC meeting. Suggestions were made to further the subject of ladle stirring and its impact on steel production and steel cleanliness. The fall meeting location will be determined at the LSROC meeting held during AISTech 2007.

October 10, 2006 - The Ladle Design Subcommittee of the Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee held a half-day meeting on Oct. 10, 2006, at WCI Steel in Warren, Ohio. The members continued their revisions to Technical Report No. 9, Specifications for the Design and Use of Ladles. The committee reviewed and revised the figures for the report and continued to coordinate the symbology appendix with the text of the document. A discussion was also held concerning the application of the fabrication section to the actual construction of a ladle. Revisions to the fabrication section were made as a result of the discussion. Following the meeting, the Ladle Design Subcommittee joined the Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee, Continuous Casting Operating Committee and the AISI Strand Casting Committee for a tour of the steelmaking facilities at WCI Steel. The next meeting for the Ladle Design Subcommittee will be Jan. 18 at Middough Associates, Cleveland, Ohio.

October 10-11, 2006 - The Continuous Casting Operating Committee (CCOC) and the Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee (LSROC) met with the AISI Strand Casting Committee in Warren, Ohio, on Oct. 10–11, 2006. The meeting began with the three committees touring the BOF steelmaking and casting facilities at WCI Steel, Warren, Ohio. After the tour, the committees held a brief question-and-answer session and attended a reception and dinner with the AIST Northern Ohio Chapter. On Oct. 11, the LSROC and the CCOCheld a brief business meeting to update their memberships concerning the Continuous Casting Training Seminar program, the current status of the Operating Committees’ technical sessions for AISTech 2007, and upcoming meeting plans. Following the business meeting, the AISI Strand Casting Committee again joined the meeting for a technical discussion. Leading into the technical discussion was an awards presentation ceremony. The LSROC presented the 2005 Best Paper Award to Material Handling Specialties for their paper, “Ladle Relining Lifts Equipment — Ergonomic and Technical Considerations,” and the 2006 Best Paper Award to P.K. Ghosh (formerly of Nucor Steel) and T.W. Junker and Rob Rote of Midwest Instrumentation Co. Inc. for their paper, “The Development of a New Approach to Deoxidation at Nucor Steel–Hickman.” The CCOC presented the 2005 Best Paper Award to Carlos Cicutt of TAMSA for his paper, “Analysis of Mold Friction in a Continuous Casting Machine for Round Bars,” and the 2006 Best Paper Award to Dofasco Inc. for their paper, “Mixed Grade Model Development and Implementation.” The technical presentations focused on secondary refining’s impact on castability. The five presentations were as follows: “Introduction to Inclusions” by Stuart Gray of Gerdau Ameristeel–Beaumont (Texas); “Reduction of Surface Defects on 0.25% C Hot Band at Nucor Steel–Indiana” by Scott McDougal; “Secondary Refining Practices and Their Influence on Castability” by Dr. Paul Kaushik of Mittal Steel USA; “Recent Study of Casting Issues Using Rapid Inclusion Analysis” by Scott Story of U. S. Steel; and “The Effect of Inclusions on Castability” by Eugene Pretorius of Nucor Steel–Berkeley. The next meeting for the LSROC will be co-located with the AIST Modern Electric Furnace Training Seminar, Feb. 5–9 in San Antonio, Texas, and will include a tour of CMC Steel Texas. The CCOC will co-locate their winter meeting with the AIST Southeast Member Chapter meeting on March 4–6 in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and will include a tour of Nucor Steel–South Carolina (Darlington) and technical presentations.

June 27, 2006 - The Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee’s Ladle Design Subcommittee met on June 27 at Middough Associates in Cleveland, Ohio, to continue work on the revision of Technical Report No. 9, Specification for the Design and Use of Ladles. After an update on the current status of the revisions, the committee began the construction of two appendices on material stresses and allowable stresses. The refractories section was updated to include alumino-magnesia-carbon refractory. The design section was updated with a section on design limitations and some general corrections to formulas and text. Finally, all the figures were reviewed for accuracy of content and description. The subcommittee will meet again on Oct. 9–10, 2006, in Warren, Ohio, prior to the joint meeting between the Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee and Continuous Casting Operating Committee, which will include a tour of WCI Steel and a joint discussion with the AISI Strand Casting Committee.

May 2, 2006 - The Continuous Casting Operating Committee met during AISTech 2006 on May 2. An election of officers was held and an update regarding the continuous casting technical sessions for AISTech 2006 was given. A review of the Continuous Casting Training Seminar, to be held in Birmingham, Ala., in November 2006, was also provided. A discussion was then held regarding the fall meeting and the logistics of a joint meeting with the AISI Strand Casting Committee. The joint meeting will be held in Warren, Ohio, on Oct. 10–11. The Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee will also participate in the meeting.

May 1, 2006 - The Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee held a luncheon meeting on May 1 during AISTech 2006. Officer elections were held, and a subcommittee was formed to evaluate the best ladle and secondary refining papers from AISTech 2006. The committee also discussed their ladle and secondary refining survey, which will be used to develop future technical discussions for their meetings. Their next meeting will be co-located with the Continuous Casting Operating Committee and the AISI Strand Casting Committee and will be held in Warren, Ohio, on Oct. 10–11.

February 16-17, 2006 - The Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee held a winter meeting in Huntsville, Ala. on Feb. 16–17, 2006. The meeting began with member introductions and the business portion of the agenda. After a discussion on membership and the AIST announcements, the committee discussed the current status of their AISTech 2006 technical sessions. The committee is sponsoring a session on ladle refining and another on ladle refractories. The committee then agreed to finalize a vote for the AISTech 2005 Best Ladle Paper when the committee meets at AISTech 2006. The award will be presented at the committee’s fall meeting. An overview was given regarding the AIST Inter-Technology Division meeting, which was held in Phoenix, Ariz., in February. It was suggested at that meeting to rename the Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee as simply Secondary Refining Operating Committee and to move the Ladle Design Subcommittee to the Material Handling Technology Division. The committee approved the subcommittee move but voted to keep the name “Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee,” since almost all secondary refining occurs in the ladle. The committee then approved the nomination of the Continuous Casting Operating Committee chair to be the AIST Continuous Casting Technology Division board representative. The committee discussed the potential of incorporating some secondary refining information into the upcoming AIST Roundups, and a one-page committee member questionnaire was developed to assist their efforts. The day’s meeting concluded with a review of the tools available to AIST committee members through the AIST Web site, www.aist.org: the Operating Committee Listserver; the Operating Committee Member’s Only area; the flexibility to post meeting presentations, agendas and minutes on that Web site; as well as the tools available on the AIST Member’s Only Web site, Steel News and Steel Links. Following the meeting, the members traveled to the Nucor Steel–Decatur facility. After an overview of the facility by Nathan Fraser, the tour began in the EAF shop and concluded with a walk through the rolling facility and shipping department. The members then held an informal dinner. On Feb. 17, the Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee reconvened for the technical discussion portion of their meeting. Middough Associates presented “An Overview of Flat-bottomed Ladle Configuration,” ABB presented “The Use of EMS in Ladle Refining in Sweden,” and Nucor Steel–Decatur gave a presentation on “The Use of a Tundish Bubbling Block.” All the presentations are available on the LSROCMember’s Only area. The next meeting for the committee will be on May 2 at AISTech 2006 in Cleveland. The fall meeting will be held at WCI Steel in Warren, Ohio, in conjunction with the Continuous Casting Operating Committee. Next winter’s meeting is tentatively scheduled to be held at CMC Steel Texas in Seguin, Texas.

September 29-30, 2005 - The Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee met in Pittsboro, Ind., on Sept. 29–30. The business meeting was held in the morning of Sept. 29. The main item on the agenda was the organization of their technical sessions for AISTech 2006, which will consist of two six-paper sessions. Representatives from Steel Dynamics Inc. Bar Products presented an overview of their steelmaking facility. Following lunch, the committee toured the SDI Bar Products facility. To kick off the technical discussion on Sept. 30, the Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee vice chair presented their AISTech 2004 Best Paper Award to Eugene Pretorius of Nucor Steel and Kevin Cotchen of SMS Demag for their presentation entitled, “Twin Tank Vacuum Degassing Facility at Nucor Berkeley.” Following the award presentation, three presenters gave technical overviews of ladle stir practices. The next committee meeting will be Feb. 16–17, 2006, in Decatur, Ala., and will include a tour of Nucor Steel – Decatur and a technical discussion on calcium injection and inclusion control.

September 29-20, 2005 - The Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee met for a lunch meeting at AISTech 2005 in Charlotte, N.C. Following introductions, the election of officers was held and a succession process for officers was established. The next meeting will be in Indianapolis, Ind., Sept 29–30 and will include a tour of Steel Dynamics’ Bar Mill Div. and a technical round table discussion on ladle metallurgy.

February 17-18, 2004 - The Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee met Feb. 17–18 in Mount Pleasant, S.C. A business meeting was held Feb. 17 to discuss the current status of the Ladle and Secondary Refining technical sessions for AISTech 2005. Session chairs were finalized, and program modifications were confirmed. The committee also discussed guidelines to assist potential presenters in preparing for a conference. The committee’s next meeting is scheduled to be held during AISTech 2005. After lunch, the committee toured the melting and refining facilities at Nucor Steel–Berkeley. A group dinner was held that night. On Feb. 18, the committee held the technical portion of the meeting. Four presentations were given on ladle slag treatment and its impact on the efficient processing of steel. Pictured to the right are the presenters (left to right): Ed Erny, Resco Products; Eugene Pretorius, Nucor Steel; Stewart Robinson, Carbide Industries LLC; and Randy Rose, WCI Steel.

2004 - The Ladle Refining Operating Committee held its third meeting of 2004 in Ghent, Ky. The meeting began with a discussion on establishing a technical forum in the steel industry for persons interested in ladle metallurgy and secondary steel refining. To that end, the committee received notice that the AIST Continuous Casting Operating Committee had unanimously approved their request to change their name to the AIST Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee. Also, the committee reviewed a member survey used to determine the prevailing technical interest of the committee’s membership. It was established that, at the next meeting, the committee would have presentations and a round table discussion on ladle slag treatment. The members then reviewed their inaugural sessions at AISTech 2004 and held a brief discussion on the papers rated as the “best of session” for ladle refining. Following that discussion was a review of the available abstracts, which the committee organized into the ladle and secondary refining sessions at AISTech 2005. The committee will sponsor four sessions for this event. The meeting concluded with a tour of the steelmaking facilities of the Gallatin Steel Co. The next meeting will be held Feb. 17–18 with a tour of Nucor Steel–Berkeley.

October 27, 2004 - The Design Subcommittee of the Ladle Refining Operating Committee met at Middough Consulting in Cleveland, Ohio, on Oct. 27. The committee continued their revisions to AIST/AISE Technical Report No. 9, Specification on the Design and Use of Ladles. The revisions are being finalized as the document is prepared for ballot draft.

2004 - The Ladle Refining Operating Committee held their fall meeting in Nashville, Tenn., at AISTech 2004. The committee approved their mission statement and considered a change in the name of the Operating Committee to better reflect their focus in the steel industry. The committee then began to plan sessions for AISTech 2005. Sessions being considered are ladle furnace design, slag chemistry and detection, ladle refractory inspection and maintenance, hydrogen control, and capital projects. The next meeting of the Ladle Refining Operating Committee is Dec. 2 and will include a tour of Gallatin Steel Co.

August 24, 2004 - The Design Subcommittee of the Ladle Refining Operating Committee met in Cleveland, Ohio, on Aug. 24 to continue their final revisions to the AIST/AISE Technical Report No. 9, “Specification for the Design and Use of Ladles.” The refractory properties table was revised to include alumina-magnesite-carbon refractories. The symbology was corrected to reflect the revised report structure, and revisions were made to the appendix on the design of ladles with three or more stiffener bands. The figures were reviewed, and notes were made for corrections. A general discussion took place on the impact of the molten steel stream to the integrity of the ladle bottom shell. The topic will be revisited at a future meeting.

June 23, 2004 - The Design Subcommittee of the Ladle Refining Operating Committee met on June 23 in Cleveland, Ohio, to continue final revisions to the AIST/AISE Technical Report No. 9, Specification on the Design and Use of Ladles. The focus of the meeting was to coordinate the symbology and formulas in the text with the Appendix to ensure totality and to eliminate redundancy. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 15 at AISTech 2004 as the complete Ladle Refining Operating Committee.

April 22, 2004 - On April 22, the Ladle Refining Operating Committee met in Cleveland, Ohio, to review business items and their structure. The committee elected a chair and chair-elect, followed by a discussion on the group’s focus. It was agreed that the name, as initially determined, did not encompass their entire scope of technology. The committee is determining what process is required to change the name of this Operating Committee to Ladle and Secondary Refining Operating Committee. The committee also developed a mission statement. The committee wrapped up the meeting by creating subcommittees to oversee particular activities, and they reviewed their technical sessions for AISTech 2004. The next meeting will be held at AISTech 2004.

April 21, 2004 - The Design Subcommittee of the Ladle Refining Operating Committee met on April 21 in Cleveland, Ohio. Members continued their work in revising “AIST Technical Report No. 9, Specification for the Design and Use of Ladles.” The symbology was reviewed for consistency and to ensure that all symbols in the text of the document were included in the appendix. The committee also reviewed the appendix for riveted ladles.

February 11-12, 2004 - The Ladle Refining Operating Committee held its inaugural AIST meeting on Feb. 11-12, 2004. The meeting agenda included a definition of the committee’s goals, which will encompass all aspects of secondary steelmaking and refining. The committee then selected abstracts for AISTech 2004. The committee will sponsor two sessions on ladle refining. A subcommittee was formed for the Ladle Refining Operating Committee. This subcommittee will work to revise the technical report on the Specification for the Design and Use of Ladles. The next meeting will be held April 21-22, 2004, in Cleveland, Ohio.