Sulphur removal in the ironmaking and oxygen steelmaking process is reviewed. A sulphur balance is made for the steelmaking process of Tata Steel IJmuiden, the Netherlands. There are four stages where sulphur can be removed: in the blast furnace (BF), during hot metal (HM) pretreatment, in the converter and during the secondary metallurgy (SM) treatment. For sulphur removal a low oxygen activity and a basic slag are required. In the BF typically 90% of the sulphur is removed; still, the HM contains about 0.03% of sulphur. Different HM desulphurisation processes are used worldwide. With co-injection or the Kanbara reactor, sulphur concentrations below 0.001% are reached. Basic slag helps desulphurisation in the converter. However, sulphur increase is not uncommon in the converter due to high oxygen activity and sulphur input via scrap and additions. For low sulphur concentrations SM desulphurisation, with a decreased oxygen activity and a basic slag, is always required.

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The permeability of a breakwater is of great importance for the stability of the armour layer. The influence of the structural permeability on the stability of rock armour units was already researched by Van der Meer using the 'notional' permeabiltiy. However, for single layer interlocking armour units the influence core permeability is rather unfamiliar. The goal of this research is to extend the knowledge on the failure mechanism of the armour layer for different structural permeability. To achieve this goal, model tests are conducted in the permeameter of the Technical University of Delft and in the wave flume of Delta Marine Consultants, Utrecht. The tests show that the stability of the armour layer decreases with increasing and decreasing core permeability.@en