The Effect of Foamy Slag in Electric arc Furnaces on Electric Energy Consumption

In electric arc furnace steelmaking units, the essential parameters that considered important are reducing price, increasing production and decreasing environmental pollution. Electric arc furnaces are the largest users of electric energy in industry. The most important techniques that can be used to reduce the electric energy consumption in electric arc furnaces are scrap preheating, stirring, use of burners and hot charge and foamy slag. Between these methods, use of foamy slag is the most useful and economic factor. Foamy slag can reduce the amount of energy, electrods, refractory consumption, tap to tap time and increases productivity. In this research, method of production and optimum conditions for foamy slag in 200 tons electric arc furnace were investigated. The use of foamy slag in this research shows that it can reduce the electric energy consumption from 670 to 580 kwh/ton and also the melting time from 130 to 115 min. and the electric power input can be increase with foamy slag. It also shows that with foamy slag the optimum amount of FeO in slag is 20-24 percent and the optimum basicity is 2-2.2.