OREANDA-NEWS. February 22, 2012. The National Science and Technology Award Conference was solemnly and impressively held in Beijing. The project of R&D and application of two-piece steel can tinplate jointly developed by Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. And Baosteel Metal etc., won the Second Grade of National Science and Technology Progress Award with its technical highlight of energy saving, environmental friendly and low cost, reported the press-centre of Baosteel.

The National Science and Technology Progress Award is the utmost award in the national science and technology field, and consists of 5 award categories which are National Grand Science and Technology Award, National Nature Science Award, National Technology Invention Award, National Science and Technology Progress Award and P.R.C.International Science and Technology Cooperation Award. Among which, the National Science and Technology Progress Award is granted to Chinese citizens and organizations with innovative contributions in technical research, technical development, technical innovation, promotion of application of advanced scientific technology result, acceleration of industrialization of hi-tech technology as well as in the process of completion of key scientific technical project and plan.

The National Science and Technology Progress Award in the year of 2011 were granted to 374 projects and 10 scientific experts including 2 people of National Grand Science and Technology Award, 36 items of National Nature Science Award, 55 items of National Technology Invention Award, 283 items of National Science and Technology Progress Award and 8 people of P.R.C. International Science and Technology Cooperation Award.

Baosteel project of R&D and application of two piece steel can tinplate was started in 1998 through self-R&D, and it took 10 years. This project finally succeeded in several key technical breakthroughs such as clean steel smelting technology with low O2, low N2 and low inclusions, two piece steel can making and forming technology etc., and Baosteel developed the complete set of DI material production and two piece steel can making technology which is unique within the country and filled up the domestic blank in this field. Though continuous innovation, Baosteel DI material thickness has been reduced up to 0.225mm with the single can weight reduced up to 22.5g. The DI material and steel made two piece can manufacturing technology and quality all reached international advanced level. This project has applied for 28 national patents among which 9 were invention patents, and they have also applied for 76 items of company technical secrets and made national standards for steel two piece can under governmental trust.

Since Baosteel developed the first two piece steel can in the country, it has established 4 world class two piece steel can production lines in Shanghai, SIchuan, Guangdong, Hebei etc., and also became one of the major supplier of renowned brands like Coca Cola, PEPSI, REEB Beer etc. In 2011, quantity of the two piece steel can made by Baosteel has reached 2.82 Billion, which takes up around 25% of the two piece can market share in the country. Up to the end of 2011, Baosteel has produced in total 480,000 tons of DI materials with total sales of 14.05 Billion steel made two piece cans. In 2008 Baosteel DI materials started to enter the overseas market.

The successful R&D and scaled application of Baosteel DI materials not only brought about the technical progress of China's iron and steel industry, enhanced the complete quality control capability in the process of mass production, but realized the localization of raw materials for two piece steel can, expanded the products in the iron and steel industry, forming new business of two piece can production. The scaled production of energy saving and environmental protection steel two piece can has optimized the structure of China's metallic packing industry and promoted the sustainable development of China's metallic packing industry.