The electric arc furnace primarily employs scrap steel as its main raw material. This approach allows for the secondary use of the alloy elements present in the scrap steel. By melting down scrap steel, valuable alloy components are reclaimed and incorporated into the new steel production, promoting resource efficiency and cost - effectiveness.
The arc within the electric arc furnace generates extremely high temperatures, with the temperature in the arc zone exceeding 3000°C. This intense heat enables the furnace to melt refractory alloy elements that are difficult to process using other methods. This capability expands the range of steel grades that can be produced, including those with high - performance and specialized properties.
The temperature inside the electric arc furnace can be precisely regulated by adjusting the magnitude of the current. This precise control allows for long - term and accurate maintenance of the molten steel temperature. Such temperature stability is crucial for ensuring consistent steel quality and meeting the specific requirements of different steel grades.
The electric arc furnace process offers high flexibility. It can cater to the needs of small - batch and multi - species special steel production. This adaptability makes it well - suited for producing customized steel products according to specific customer demands, which is beneficial in markets where a wide variety of steel grades are required.
Since scrap steel is the main raw material, during the smelting process, there is a higher likelihood of introducing impurities into the molten steel. These impurities can significantly degrade the quality of the final steel product, affecting its mechanical properties, such as strength and ductility, and reducing its overall performance.
According to the "Carbon Industry Special Report" released on June 25, 2017, the average tapping time of the fourth - generation electric furnaces currently in wide use is 55 - 60 minutes. This indicates that the smelting cycle of electric arc furnace steelmaking is longer compared to converter steelmaking, which can limit production efficiency and increase production costs.
The power consumption of electric arc furnace steelmaking is relatively high, at around 500kWh/t. This high power requirement places greater pressure on the local power grid, potentially leading to issues such as power shortages and increased electricity costs for steel producers.
The converter uses hot metal produced by the blast furnace as its main raw material. As a result, the steel produced through converter steelmaking has higher purity, with fewer impurity alloy elements. This high - purity steel is more suitable for applications that require strict quality standards, such as in the automotive and aerospace industries.
The converter steelmaking process relies entirely on the chemical and physical heat generated by the oxidation of the hot metal, without the need for external energy input. This results in a relatively short smelting cycle of 20 - 30 minutes, which is significantly shorter than that of electric arc furnace steelmaking. The shorter cycle enables faster production rhythms and higher overall production capacity.
Since the converter process does not require external energy input for heating, its power consumption is relatively low. This energy efficiency not only reduces production costs but also aligns with the global trend of energy conservation and environmental protection in the steel industry.
The converter steelmaking process is based solely on the heat from the oxidation of molten iron, without any external energy input. As a result, the furnace temperature is usually below 2000°C, which is not sufficient to melt refractory alloy elements. This limits the range of steel grades that can be produced using the converter process.
As the furnace capacity of converters increases, the process becomes less flexible. Larger converters are less adaptable to changes in production requirements, such as small - batch or customized steel production. This lack of flexibility can be a disadvantage in markets where there is a need for a diverse range of steel products with varying specifications.
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