T
Taconite
WHAT Natural mineral containing less than 30% iron. It is
the primary ore used in blast furnaces. WHY Domestic supplies
of iron-rich ores (greater than 50% iron) were largely depleted
in the 1940s, so integrated steel companies now process the
lower-grade taconite to make it useful.
Tailored Blanks
A section of sheet or strip that is cut-to-length and trimmed
to match specifications for the manufacturer's stamping design
for a particular part. Because excess steel is cut away (to
save shipping costs), all that remains for the stamper is
to impart the three-dimensional shape with a die press (see
Blanking).
Tandem Mill
A type of cold-rolling mill, the tandem mill imparts greater
strength, a uniform and smoother surface, and reduced thickness
to the steel sheet. Unlike the original single-stand mills,
a tandem mill rolls steel through a series of rolls (generally
three to five in a row) to achieve a desired thickness and
surface quality.
Teeming
Pouring; ingot molds are filled (teemed) by iron-bearing ladles.
Temper Mill
A type of cold-rolling mill, usually with only one or two
stands, that finishes cold-rolled, annealed sheet steel by
improving the finish or texture to develop the required final
mechanical properties. By changing the rolls of the temper
mill, steel can be shipped with a shiny, dull or grooved surface.
Terne
Sheet steel coated with a mixture of lead and tin. Terne principally
is used in the manufacture of gasoline tanks, although it
also can be found in chemical containers, oil filters and
television chassis.
Tin Mill
Continuous tin-plating facility to produce tin mill steel
sheet to be used in food and beverage cans and other containers.
Tin/Chrome Plating
A plating process whereby the molecules from the positively
charged tin or chromium anode attach to the negatively charged
sheet steel. The thickness of the coating is readily controlled
through regulation of the voltage and speed of the sheet through
the plating area.
Tin-Free Steel
Chromium-coated steel. Because it is used in food cans just
like tin plate, it ironically is classified as a tin mill
product. Tin-free steel is easier to recycle because tin will
contaminate scrap steel in even small concentrations.
Tin Plate
Thin sheet steel with a very thin coating of metallic tin.
Tin plate is used primarily in canmaking.
Tolerances
A customer's specifications can refer to dimensions or to
the chemical properties of steel ordered. The tolerance measures
the allowable difference in product specifications between
what a customer orders and what the steel company delivers.
There is no standard tolerance because each customer maintains
its own variance objective. Tolerances are given as the specification,
plus or minus an error factor; the smaller the range, the
higher the cost.
Toll Processing
The act of processing steel for a fee ("toll"). Owners of
the steel sheet may not possess the facilities to perform
needed operations on the material (or may not have the open
capacity). Therefore, another steel mill or service center
will slit, roll, coat, anneal, or plate the metal for a fee.
Tool Steels
Steels that are hardened for the use in the manufacture of
tools and dies.
Ton
Unit of measure for steel scrap and iron ore.
GROSS TON 2,240 pounds.
LONG (NET) TON 2,240 pounds.
SHORT (NET) TON 2,000 pounds.
Normal unit of statistical raw material input and steel output
in the United States.
METRIC TON 1,000 kilograms. 2,204.6
pounds or 1.102 short tons.
Trade Case
A type of lawsuit filed by United States companies against
their foreign counterparts in response to imports at prices
lower than those in the U.S. market. Sanctions can be imposed
by the International Trade Commission and the Commerce Department
on foreign producers involved in dumping and government subsidization,
if domestic manufacturers can prove material damage to their
results.
Tubing
When referring to OCTG, tubing is a separate pipe used within
the casing to conduct the oil or gas to the surface. Depending
on conditions and well life, tubing may have to be replaced
during the operational life of a well.
Tundish
The shallow refractory-lined basin on top of the continuous
caster. It receives the liquid steel from the ladle, prior
to the cast, allowing the operator to precisely regulate the
flow of metal into the mold.
Tunnel Furnace
Type of furnace whereby stock to be heated is placed upon
cars which are then pushed or pulled slowly through the furnace.
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