Electrode Life and Operation Tips

Operation and Electrode Life

Electric arc furnace with cap closed

The service life of the electrode is related to the furnace charge, equipment, operation and the quality of the electrode. The furnace charge must not contain non-conductive materials such as mud and stones, rubber and wood. During operation, the furnace operators need to especially care about a few of key stages to prevent the electrode broken.

(1) Strictly according to the batching operation points for batching, do not allow heavy material, large pieces of material upward, non-conductive materials into the furnace, furnace material into the furnace after serious deflection, etc.. After each furnace charging, the furnace manager must check and confirm the condition of the furnace charge after entering the furnace, and deal with the heavy scrap, slag steel and side wire rolls and other large materials or non-conductive substances around the electrode when found to be upturned in time

(2) Pay attention to the height of the electrode when the forklift cleans the furnace door, not to push the slag block at the furnace door and other materials with poor electrical conductivity to the electrode directly below.

(3) Improper blowing, perpendicularity and pre-tightening force in the renewal process will seriously affect the quality of electrode renewal, leading to a decrease in the strength of the joint during the use of the electrode on line and frequent electrode breakage accidents in the smelting process.

(4) Adding auxiliary materials such as lime in the melting stage is too concentrated or the speed of feeding cannot be too fast to prevent electrodes from breaking due to poor conductivity of the furnace material below the electrode.

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