Astra Mining has released new technical and economic data for its revolutionary T Steel product. T Steel types range from structural steel through to premium grade, high category and specialised steels.

Dr Jaydeep Biswas CEO of Astra Mining said that the T Steel range consists of premium category steels within specific steel families that have a demonstrated price-to-performance advantage over other steel products.

He added that "One of the most important factors in the implementation of the T Steel technology is that factories which cannot afford multi billion dollar investments in new equipment are able to manufacture higher quality steels using existing factory infrastructure with relatively minor capital investment. These average factories are therefore able to enter markets where they can sell a premium category steel, for example T5, and increase their sales and hence profits."

Astra Steelworks Limited, which is part of the Astra Mining group, is planning to start the production of high quality steels based on highly specialized processes and special alloying technologies invented over a 30 year period in Hungary.

The end product, T Steel, has numerous advantages over the production of regular steel types including substantial yield savings, a reduction in alloys used, significant savings in energy used and advanced properties when compared to most HSLA steels.

Ms Silvana De Cianni MD of Astra Mining said that the viability of the T Steel technology is underpinned by the numerous industrial applications of the steels produced. She added that "These applications include low carbon content stainless steels, non alloyed construction steels, case hardened alloyed steels and ball bearing steels. As an example there are a number of top German steel mills which produce rails for various rail systems and sell these at a premium price. Comparable quality rails can be produced by the T Steel process with a lower grade steel through a less prestigious factory, say in Hungary, and sold at a similar premium."

Astra Mining's global portfolio includes gold and tin interests in Southeast Asia and southern India, coal mines in Australia and Africa, iron ore in India and Africa, and the production of the high strength T Steel technology in Hungary.

Astra has also confirmed its plans to list on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange before August 31st 2011 or soon thereafter.