| Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Steel. . . But Were Afraid to Ask Copyright Michelle Applebaum Research, Inc 2003-2006 All rights reserved. June 2006 |
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
D
DEBURRING 3
The process used to smooth the sharp, jagged edges of a cut piece of steel.
****
DEEP DRAWING APPLICATIONS 1
Parts/applications that require deep drawing in their fabrication. Examples are motor shells,
fenders, quarter panels, and door panels.
****
DEFINED BENEFIT RETIREMENT PLAN
A type of pension plan whereby the employer promises to make pension payments to retired
employees in specified amounts, regardless of the performance of the fund. Because the
employees’ total years of service and their length of retirement are uncertain, the employer’s
future liabilities must be estimated and can fluctuate over time.
****
DEFINED CONTRIBUTION RETIREMENT PLAN
A pension plan in which the employer promises to make specified contributions to the pension
fund, but the amount of pension benefits ultimately paid to retired employees depends on how
well the pension fund’s assets are managed. There are no balance sheet items for Defined
Contribution Plans because all liabilities are satisfied in full each year.
****
DESCALING 1
The process of removing scale from the surface of steel. Scale forms most readily when the
steel is hot by union oxygen with iron. Common methods are: (1) crack the scale by use of
roughened rolls and remove by a forceful water spray, (2) throw salt or wet sand or wet burlap
on the steel just previous to its passage through the rolls.
****
DESULFURIZATION
What?
Operation that injects a chemical mixture into a ladle full of hot metal to remove sulfur prior to its
charging into the Basic Oxygen Furnace.
Why?
Sulfur enters the steel from the coke in the blast furnace smelting operation, and there is little
the steelmaker can do to reduce its presence. Because excess sulfur in the steel impedes its
welding and forming characteristics, the mill must add this step to the steelmaking process.
****
DIRECT REDUCED IRON (DRI)
What?
Processed iron ore that is iron-rich enough to be used as a scrap substitute in electric furnace
steelmaking.
Why?
As mini-mills expand their product abilities to sheet steel, they require much higher grades of
scrap to approach integrated mill quality. Enabling the mini-mills to use iron ore without the
blast furnace, DRI can serve as a low residual raw material and alleviate the mini-mills’
dependence on cleaner, higher priced scrap.
How?
The impurities in the crushed iron ore are driven off through the use of massive amounts of
natural gas. While the result is 97% pure iron (compared with blast furnace hot metal, which,
because it is saturated with carbon, is only 93% iron), DRI is only economically feasible in
regions where natural gas is attractively priced.
****
DRAWN-OVER-MANDREL
A procedure for producing specialty tubing using a drawbench to pull tubing through a die and
over a mandrel, giving excellent control over the inside diameter and wall thickness.
Advantages of this technique are its inside and outside surface quality and gauge tolerance.
Major markets include automotive applications and hydraulic cylinders.
****
DRILL PIPE
Pipe used in the drilling of an oil or gas well. Drill pipe is the conduit between the wellhead
motor and the drill bit. Drilling mud is pumped down the center of the pipe during drilling, to
lubricate the drill bit and transmit the drilled core to the surface. Because of the high stress,
torque and temperature associated with well drilling, drill pipe is a seamless product.
****
DUCTILITY
Ability of steel to undergo permanent changes in shape without fracture at room temperature.
****
DUMPING
Dumping occurs when imported merchandise is sold in, or for export to the domestic market at
less than the normal value of the merchandise — that is, at a price that is less than the price at
which identical or similar merchandise is sold in the comparison market, the home market (the
market of the exporting country), or third-country market (in this case, “market” is used as proxy
for “home market” in cases where home market cannot be used). The normal value of the
merchandise cannot be below the cost of production.
****
DUMPING MARGIN
The amount by which the normal value exceeds the export price or constructed export price of
the subject merchandise.
****
DUPLEX
A category of stainless steel with high amounts of chromium and moderate nickel content. The
duplex class is so named because it is a mixture of austenitic (chromium-nickel stainless
class) and ferritic (plain chromium stainless category) structures. This combination was
originated to offer more strength than either of those stainless steels. Duplex stainless steels
provide high resistance to stress corrosion cracking (formation of cracks caused by a
combination of corrosion and stress) and are suitable for heat exchangers, desalination plants,
and marine applications.
****
Source: Weirton Steel Glossary
Source: Dofasco Glossary of Terms
Source: Reliance Steel 10-K
Source: BlueScope Steel Glossary of Terms
Source: Allegheny Technologies 10-K
Source: Alcoa 10-K
Source: Alcan 10-K
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
D
DEBURRING 3
The process used to smooth the sharp, jagged edges of a cut piece of steel.
****
DEEP DRAWING APPLICATIONS 1
Parts/applications that require deep drawing in their fabrication. Examples are motor shells,
fenders, quarter panels, and door panels.
****
DEFINED BENEFIT RETIREMENT PLAN
A type of pension plan whereby the employer promises to make pension payments to retired
employees in specified amounts, regardless of the performance of the fund. Because the
employees’ total years of service and their length of retirement are uncertain, the employer’s
future liabilities must be estimated and can fluctuate over time.
****
DEFINED CONTRIBUTION RETIREMENT PLAN
A pension plan in which the employer promises to make specified contributions to the pension
fund, but the amount of pension benefits ultimately paid to retired employees depends on how
well the pension fund’s assets are managed. There are no balance sheet items for Defined
Contribution Plans because all liabilities are satisfied in full each year.
****
DESCALING 1
The process of removing scale from the surface of steel. Scale forms most readily when the
steel is hot by union oxygen with iron. Common methods are: (1) crack the scale by use of
roughened rolls and remove by a forceful water spray, (2) throw salt or wet sand or wet burlap
on the steel just previous to its passage through the rolls.
****
DESULFURIZATION
What?
Operation that injects a chemical mixture into a ladle full of hot metal to remove sulfur prior to its
charging into the Basic Oxygen Furnace.
Why?
Sulfur enters the steel from the coke in the blast furnace smelting operation, and there is little
the steelmaker can do to reduce its presence. Because excess sulfur in the steel impedes its
welding and forming characteristics, the mill must add this step to the steelmaking process.
****
DIRECT REDUCED IRON (DRI)
What?
Processed iron ore that is iron-rich enough to be used as a scrap substitute in electric furnace
steelmaking.
Why?
As mini-mills expand their product abilities to sheet steel, they require much higher grades of
scrap to approach integrated mill quality. Enabling the mini-mills to use iron ore without the
blast furnace, DRI can serve as a low residual raw material and alleviate the mini-mills’
dependence on cleaner, higher priced scrap.
How?
The impurities in the crushed iron ore are driven off through the use of massive amounts of
natural gas. While the result is 97% pure iron (compared with blast furnace hot metal, which,
because it is saturated with carbon, is only 93% iron), DRI is only economically feasible in
regions where natural gas is attractively priced.
****
DRAWN-OVER-MANDREL
A procedure for producing specialty tubing using a drawbench to pull tubing through a die and
over a mandrel, giving excellent control over the inside diameter and wall thickness.
Advantages of this technique are its inside and outside surface quality and gauge tolerance.
Major markets include automotive applications and hydraulic cylinders.
****
DRILL PIPE
Pipe used in the drilling of an oil or gas well. Drill pipe is the conduit between the wellhead
motor and the drill bit. Drilling mud is pumped down the center of the pipe during drilling, to
lubricate the drill bit and transmit the drilled core to the surface. Because of the high stress,
torque and temperature associated with well drilling, drill pipe is a seamless product.
****
DUCTILITY
Ability of steel to undergo permanent changes in shape without fracture at room temperature.
****
DUMPING
Dumping occurs when imported merchandise is sold in, or for export to the domestic market at
less than the normal value of the merchandise — that is, at a price that is less than the price at
which identical or similar merchandise is sold in the comparison market, the home market (the
market of the exporting country), or third-country market (in this case, “market” is used as proxy
for “home market” in cases where home market cannot be used). The normal value of the
merchandise cannot be below the cost of production.
****
DUMPING MARGIN
The amount by which the normal value exceeds the export price or constructed export price of
the subject merchandise.
****
DUPLEX
A category of stainless steel with high amounts of chromium and moderate nickel content. The
duplex class is so named because it is a mixture of austenitic (chromium-nickel stainless
class) and ferritic (plain chromium stainless category) structures. This combination was
originated to offer more strength than either of those stainless steels. Duplex stainless steels
provide high resistance to stress corrosion cracking (formation of cracks caused by a
combination of corrosion and stress) and are suitable for heat exchangers, desalination plants,
and marine applications.
****
Source: Weirton Steel Glossary
Source: Dofasco Glossary of Terms
Source: Reliance Steel 10-K
Source: BlueScope Steel Glossary of Terms
Source: Allegheny Technologies 10-K
Source: Alcoa 10-K
Source: Alcan 10-K
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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