(19)

(11)

EP 2 443 060 A2

(12)

(88) Date of publication A3: 14.04.2011 (43) Date of publication: 25.04.2012 Bulletin 2012/17 (21) Application number: 10725737.0 (22) Date of filing: 18.06.2010

(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):  C01B 31/02(2006.01) (86) International application number: PCT/EP2010/058658 (87) International publication number: WO 2010/146169 (23.12.2010 Gazette 2010/51)

(84) Designated Contracting States: AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK SM TR (30) Priority: 18.06.2009 EP 09007979 03.03.2010 EP 10002142 (71) Applicants: Tata Steel Nederland Technology B.V. 1970 CA IJmuiden (NL) Tata Steel Limited Jamshedpur 831 001 (IN)	(72) Inventors: ROUT, Tapan Kumar NL-1970 CA IJmuiden (NL) GAIKWAD, Anil Vilas NL-1970 CA IJmuiden (NL) HANNOUR, Fouzia NL-1970 CA IJmuiden (NL) (74) Representative: Bodin, Andre et al Tata Steel Group Intellectual Property Services P.O. Box 10000 1970 CA IJmuiden 1970 CA IJmuiden (NL)