Steelmaking
Process

A Better Way to Make Steel

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.