Points You Should Learn About Graphite Electrode And How Is It Linked To The Steel Making Method?

We all have to know steel. It’s used by us with your everyday living. But have you ever wondered how to produce it? Along with what can it decide to try produce it? This is the steel is produced in the big factory which is cooked inside a giant stove called furnace. And the cooking itself takes countless ingredients inside.

The Blast Furnace and Electric Arc Furnace methods include the two major approaches for producing iron and steel products. Scrap melting will be the major process utilizing Electric Arc Furnaces. Recently, industry competition has become increasingly intense, elevating the requirement for a more efficient melting process. Capacities from the transformers are becoming larger and electric furnaces are increasing larger worldwide. In this manufacturing environment, graphite materials which have durability for larger-power operation are essential much more for that use as Graphite Electrode (GE).

GE are manufactured from carbon. Carbon can be a nonmetal element having an atomic quantity of 6 and the atomic symbol “C”. Carbon will be the base of organic chemistry, closely associated with organic matter and life activity. Manufacturing excellent graphite electrodes requires quality materials which can be strictly selected.

Graphite features a higher heat transfer rating, effectiveness against higher temperatures, and it has more strength against thermal shock than other materials. Moreover, it excels in machinability to fulfill the needs for a broader variety of dimensions. Thus, graphite is the optimum material for scrap-melting electrodes.

GE can be consumed at high temperatures due to the reaction with oxygen being CO, CO2. The oxidation of electrodes starts at 500oC and accelerates its speed at 800oC (inside furnace). Use of graphite electrodes by sublimation occurs at 3400o. The velocity of sublimation is proportional towards the increase of current density.

Meanwhile, usage of quality GE ends in contributions to saving energy and environmental conservation. Electric arc furnaces, using the main purpose of recycling steel scraps, boost reuse of steel products.

Production organization of graphite electrodes can be divided as 10 stages as follows:

Raw material transporting
Kneading
Extruding
Baking
Pitch Impregnation
Re-Baking
Graphitization
Machining
Inspection
Shipment
The typical sizes for graphite electrodes are from diameter 10″ (inch) to 30″(inch) and from amount of 60″(inch) to 110″(inch). The weights are which range from 123 Kgs (10″ x 60″) to 2060 Kgs (30″ x 110″).

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