NLMK to launch new coated steel in 2023

NLMK Group is improving the quality of its steel offering with a zinc-aluminium-magnesium coating of increased resistance, the company says.

The firm says it carried out successful tests of rolled products with increased corrosion resistance with a paint and varnish coating. The results showed virtually zero impact of aggressive environments on the metal surface, it claims.

The launch of the new product in the market is scheduled for the first half of 2023, Kallanish notes.

Steel with a corrosion-resistant zinc-aluminium-magnesium coating has advantages over standard galvanized steel. It is recommended for use in medium and highly aggressive environments, for the production of light-weighted materials, girders, the frame of the supporting structures of partitions, the frame of floors and wall elements, NLMK observes.

In addition, steel with this anti-corrosion coating will be used as the basis for the production of polymer-coated rolled products. These products ensure the durability of the operation of buildings located in central Russia for at least 50 years, NLMK says.

NLMK has also improved the stability of galvanized steel by applying a thin layer of organic coating, providing a threefold increase in the resistance of the metal. 

The company also completed the modernisation of the APP-1 polymer coating unit. The unit with a capacity of 130,000 tonnes/year is designed to apply high-tech coatings with high performance characteristics to sheet up to 2mm thick and 1,600mm wide.

Earlier, NLMK said that Russian steel exports will fall further due to sanctions against the country following its invasion of Ukraine (see Kallanish passim). It expects exports of steel products from Russia to decline by 23% in 2022, with rolled products accounting for the bulk of the decline by 40-45%.

The steelmaker also expects that Russia will reduce this year steel production by more than 11 million tonnes, down by 15% on-year.

Svetoslav Abrossimov Bulgaria