High Temperature Material Processes (An International Quarterly of High-Technology Plasma Processes) An International Journal

ISSN for PRINT: 1093-3611

For Online Access

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2000, Volume4

Issue 3

152 pages

Issue price - $144.00

Dieter Neuschutz
Lehrstuhl fur Theoretische Huttenkunde, Rheinisch-Westfalische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen, D-52056 Aachen, Germany

An overview is given on the present state and future trends of high power arc heating systems applied in iron and steelmaking, ferroalloys production and dust recycling. As arc generators, metallic torches with cold and hot electrodes are considered as well as graphite electrodes with and without gas-stabilization of the arc.
In practice metal plasma torches are only applied in limited cases to superheat the blast in cupola furnaces and, somewhat more frequently, to heat liquid steel in the tundish. In all other cases the electrode material in high power arc heating systems is graphite. Applications discussed are ore smelting in DC furnaces, submerged-arc furnace production of ferroalloys, stainless steel dust recycling and scrap-based steelmaking.
The production of steel in the electric arc furnace is steadily rising, its share of the total steel production climbing from modest 10 % in 1960 to 35 % in 2000 which will absolutely represent 280 mio t of steel produced in electric arc furnaces (EAFs) with 125 billion kWh or ca. 1 % of the world's annually generated electric power. Operating data of modern AC and DC EAFs are presented and discussed. New trends in furnace design are listed including twin-shell furnaces, scrap preheating and continuous scrap charging installations, DC furnaces with two electrodes and furnaces for high hot metal feed ratios.

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