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Metallurgical results from a 30‐t AC plasma ladle furnace
Author(s) -
Neuschütz Dieter,
Schubert KarlHeinz,
Bebber Hans J.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
steel research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1869-344X
pISSN - 0177-4832
DOI - 10.1002/srin.199101318
Subject(s) - slag (welding) , ladle , metallurgy , chromium , argon , induction furnace , oxidizing agent , pyrometallurgy , electric arc furnace , carbon fibers , manganese , steelmaking , chemistry , nickel , silicon , materials science , alloy , smelting , composite material , composite number , organic chemistry
In a 30‐t ladle furnace equipped with three A.C. transferred arc‐plasma torches for a power input of 6 MW, the influence of argon plasma heating on the chemical composition of a number of steel grades from carbon to chromium‐nickel steels was investigated. The concentrations of carbon, manganese, chromium and nickel remained virtually constant even for extra‐long heating periods of 2 hours. Silicon melting loss was appr. 0.03%/h, comparable to conventional ladle furnaces. Nitrogen pickup proved to be negligibly small, although the N 2 partial pressure in the furnace was about 0.5 bar. Since the slag is well heated up by the plasma flames, a metal desulphurization is noticed, the extent of which depends on the basicity of the slag. At the slag/gas interface, equilibrium is established with the slightly oxidizing furnace atmosphere, leading to sulphur transfer from slag to gas via SO 2 .