Abstract: The process and advantages of using hot metal smelting 400 series stainless steel were described in this paper. The phosphorus balance of one step 400 series stainless steel production was calculated. The calculation results showed that for ordinary 400 series stainless steel, hot metal dephosphorization converter end point phosphorus mass fraction less than 0.024 % can meet the requirements of end point phosphorus content of the finished product, and for the super pure 400 series stainless steel some higher requirements, hot metal dephosphorization converter end point phosphorus mass fraction should be no more than 0.01 %. Under the condition of reasonable ingredients, the depth of converter dephosphorization can meet the production requirements of all 400 series stainless steels. Based on the actual production data of a steel plant in China, it is further proved that the dephosphorization of converter is a mature and reliable method for the pretreatment of molten iron.

Key words: hot metal, 400 series stainless steel, dephosphorizing in converter, phosphorus balance, dephosphorization depth