A system and equipment to measure and control the feeding of load material into an electrical arc furnace (EAF) includes an automatic control device feeding the load material; a measuring device positioned between the EAF and the tilting platform that includes an upper plate adapted to slide against the EAF, a lower plate engaged to the tilting platform, and a ring structure therebetween having a peripheral ring wall, a ring plate extending across the ring structure, and a contact member coupled to the ring plate that upperly contacts the upper plate and lowerly approaches, without contacting the lower plate; and one or more sensors measuring a deformation of the ring plate upon application of a load on the upper plate.

An apparatus for feeding and preheating a metal charge toward a melting furnace of a melting plant, comprising at least one conveyor channel for said metal charge, at least one hood disposed above said conveyor channel and scrap detection means able to identify the profile of the metal charge entering said conveyor channel. The present invention also concerns a plant for melting metal comprising said apparatus, and a method to feed and preheat a metal charge.

Method for melting metal material in a melting plant comprising at least an electric furnace having at least a shell into which said metal material is introduced, and feed means to load said metal material into said shell, said method comprising at least a step of loading said metal material into said shell by means of said feed means, a melting step in which said metal material is melted, and a subsequent tapping step in which the molten metal material is tapped.

A furnace as described in this invention comprises a temperature regulating portion to assist in melting a non-ferrous material, such as an aluminium, and to reserve said material for the subsequent casting or injection molding procedure. The furnace provides a mean to eliminate an oxide, such as iron oxide, which generally floats on the top layer of a molten material inside a melting portion and a heating portion by preventing the flow of said oxide into the temperature regulating portion. A sensor or any detector that can detect the level of the molten material is utilized to measure the surface level of said molten material. A temperature regulating burner, which is a flat flame type, is utilized on the ceiling of the temperature regulating portion in order to prevent any oxidation reaction to occur as well as to reduce the concentration of oxygen inside the portion.

A furnace as described in this invention comprises a temperature regulating portion to assist in melting a non-ferrous material, such as an aluminium, and to reserve said material for the subsequent casting or injection molding procedure. The furnace provides a mean to eliminate an oxide, such as iron oxide, which generally floats on the top layer of a molten material inside a melting portion and a heating portion by preventing the flow of said oxide into the temperature regulating portion. A sensor or any detector that can detect the level of the molten material is utilized to measure the surface level of said molten material. A temperature regulating burner, which is a flat flame type, is utilized on the ceiling of the temperature regulating portion in order to prevent any oxidation reaction to occur as well as to reduce the concentration of oxygen inside the portion.

System and method for using fast response heaters to pre-heat metal before entering a metal treatment furnace, which may improve control over metal processing, especially in response to changes in material, mass flow rate, line speed, and/or desired treatment process. Fast response heaters may be used with control systems to adjust the output of the fast response heater based on operator inputs, direct or indirect sensing of process parameters, and/or the use of thermal models to quickly adjust fast response heater output while a metal treatment furnace remains at a constant temperature or slowly transitions into a new operating state. The resulting gains in process control result in higher quality products, reduced scrap, and increases in line speed and output.

System and method for using fast response heaters to pre-heat metal before entering a metal treatment furnace, which may improve control over metal processing, especially in response to changes in material, mass flow rate, line speed, and/or desired treatment process. Fast response heaters may be used with control systems to adjust the output of the fast response heater based on operator inputs, direct or indirect sensing of process parameters, and/or the use of thermal models to quickly adjust fast response heater output while a metal treatment furnace remains at a constant temperature or slowly transitions into a new operating state. The resulting gains in process control result in higher quality products, reduced scrap, and increases in line speed and output.

The present invention belongs to the technical field of metallurgy, and discloses a horizontal continuous feeding preheating device and an enhanced preheating method therefor. The scheme comprises that two dust removal ports are arranged at the front and rear parts of a horizontal continuous feeding preheating duct, and the horizontal continuous feeding preheating duct is divided into an enhanced preheating area and a flue gas preheating area by the two dust removal ports arranged at the front and rear parts of the horizontal continuous feeding preheating duct; burners are installed in the enhanced preheating area, and the two dust removal ports are connected with a flue gas adjusting distributor respectively by a flue gas pipeline; the negative pressure of a second dust removal port is balanced by the efflux fluid dynamic pressure of a plurality rows of burners in the enhanced preheating area; the micro-negative pressure requirement of a first dust removal port is controlled by a pressure sensor, so as to reduce the amount of cold air mixed into the first dust removal port, the steel scrap preheating efficiency of the burners and electric arc furnace flue gas is increased by controlling the flow rate and temperature of mixed flue gas, and the production is made more environment-friendly.

A method for making covetic metal-carbon composites or compositions by electron beam melt heating under vacuum (pressure <10.sup.3 Torr) is described herein. This fabrication method is advantageous, in that it provides oxygen-free covetic materials in a process that allows precise control of the composition of the covetic material to be produced. The method described herein also can be applied to produce multi-element-carbon composites within a metal or alloy matrix, including high melting temperature materials such as ceramic particles or prefabricated nano- or micro-structures, such as carbon nanotubes or graphene compounds. The covetic reaction between metal and carbon takes place under the influence of flowing electrons through the melted metal-carbon precursor. This process creates strong bonding between nanocarbon structure and the metal elements in the melt.

A method for making covetic metal-carbon composites or compositions by electron beam melt heating under vacuum (pressure <10.sup.3 Torr) is described herein. This fabrication method is advantageous, in that it provides oxygen-free covetic materials in a process that allows precise control of the composition of the covetic material to be produced. The method described herein also can be applied to produce multi-element-carbon composites within a metal or alloy matrix, including high melting temperature materials such as ceramic particles or prefabricated nano- or micro-structures, such as carbon nanotubes or graphene compounds. The covetic reaction between metal and carbon takes place under the influence of flowing electrons through the melted metal-carbon precursor. This process creates strong bonding between nanocarbon structure and the metal elements in the melt.