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(11)

EP 4 581 175 A1

(12)

(43) Date of publication: 09.07.2025 Bulletin 2025/28 (21) Application number: 23745496.2 (22) Date of filing: 24.07.2023

(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):  C21B 3/04(2006.01) C22B 13/02(2006.01) C22B 19/04(2006.01) C22B 5/16(2006.01) C22B 7/02(2006.01) C22B 3/00(2006.01) C22B 19/30(2006.01) (52) Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC): C21B 3/04; C21B 2200/00; C22B 7/02; C22B 13/025; C22B 13/045; C22B 19/04; C22B 19/30; C22B 5/16; Y02P 10/20 (86) International application number: PCT/EP2023/070414 (87) International publication number: WO 2024/046656 (07.03.2024 Gazette 2024/10)

(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 ME MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR Designated Extension States: BA Designated Validation States: KH MA MD TN (30) Priority: 01.09.2022 EP 22193437 (71) Applicant: Tata Steel IJmuiden B.V. 1951 JZ Velsen-Noord (NL)	(72) Inventors: BEENTJES, Petrus, Cornelis, Jozef 1970 CA IJMUIDEN (NL) XIAO, Yanping 1970 CA IJMUIDEN (NL) (74) Representative: Group Intellectual Property Services  c/o Tata Steel Nederland Technology B.V. P.O. Box 10000 - 3G.37 1970 CA IJmuiden 1970 CA IJmuiden (NL)