Effect of composition of metallurgical powder on the slopes and hearths of electric arc furnaces

Summary To reduce the sliding of fettling powders from the slopes of electric furnaces, it is desirable to use powders with not more than 10% of the fraction finer than 0.088 mm, and the SiO₂ content should be about 4.5–6%. Addition to the magnesite powder of coarse dolomite fraction 15-0.5 mm, and also 6–7% coal tar pitch, reduces the mobility of the powders.The rational composition of metallurgical powders used for fettling slopes and hearths of electric arc furnaces largely depends on the grade of steel being melted.The increase in the life of the slopes and hearths of an electric furnace in which stainless steel was being melted, fettled with MPMZ powder, was due to the increase in the content of periclase bonded with melilite and mervinite in the slopes and melilite and forsterite in the hearths.During the melting of steel of changing sorts, the increase in the life of the slopes and hearths, fettling with magnesite-dolomite powders is due to the presence of crystals of periclase bonded mainly with highly refractory dicalcium silicate.When fettling is done with MPMZ powder the structure of the slopes and hearths is identical. The use of chromemagnesite, magnesite-chromite and magnesite-dolomite powders give rise to the formation of a heterogeneous structure in the slopes and hearths which leads to their irregular wearing away.To prolong the service of the hearths and slopes of electric furnaces it is necessary to continue investigating the wear resistance of fettling materials in furnaces of different capacities, where steels of different types are being melted, typifying the life of the powders by the consumption per ton of steel melted, the burn-out profile of the lining, the interrepair periods and other factors.