Recently the production volumes of high tensile strength steel strip has increased. This type
of steel requires longer pickling times compared to normal low carbon steel. This prolonged
pickling time becomes the bottle-neck in the steel production process. At the same time, a decrease
in energy consumption and production costs is desired, calling for greater importance of
high-speed pickling.
To solve this problem, conventional electric-pumped forced pickling systems, called
circulation type tanks, are applicable. Unfortunately this system's electric power consumption will
not satisfy the steel maker's operation cost reduction and energy saving requirements.
To satisfy such requirements, Primetals Technologies Ltd. has developed an energy-efficient,
easily-maintainable pickling system called i Box. This system has a pickling performance
equivalent to that of circulation type pickling, while only using the strip driving force to move the
acid in the tanks.
