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.

Apparatus for melting metal material comprising a container for metal material, by way of example, but not limited to, metal scrap, DRI, cast iron, supplied in an electric arc-type melting furnace, and a plurality of electrodes to melt the metal material, which can be inserted in said container.

A pipe-within-a-pipe and method of use are provided. The pipe-within-a-pipe comprises a first tube overlaying a second tube. The first tube and the second tube have different structures in some respect.

Sensors measure magnetic field components, and the measured fields are used to calculate and estimated transverse position of a longitudinal electric current flowing as an electric discharge across a discharge gap. Based on the estimated position, and according to a selected transverse trajectory or distribution of the estimated discharge position, magnetic fields are applied transversely across the discharge gap so as to control or alter the estimated discharge position. Inventive apparatus and methods can be employed, inter alia, during operation of a vacuum arc furnace.

A lift plug for lifting a graphite electrode includes a main body and an insert coupled to one end of the main body, with the insert configured to mate with a graphite electrode to secure the lift plug to the graphite electrode. The lift plug also includes a lifting component coupled to the main body opposite the insert to lift the graphite electrode. The insert comprises a non-graphite material with a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) similar to graphite, such that the lift plug expands at a similar rate as the graphite electrode when heated so as to prevent locking at a joint between the lift plug and the graphite electrode.

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 determining a length parameter of an electrode during operation of an electric arc furnace. An internal duct extends through the length of the electrode and is open at its lower end. A waveguide having a solid core is received in the internal duct and comprises a material having a low dielectric constant and high temperature resistance. The solid core of the waveguide includes at least one target. An electromagnetic radiation signal is emitted from a source and transmitted through the waveguide and the signal is diffracted and/or reflected from at least one target to produce at least one return signal which is transmitted back through the waveguide. A time or frequency difference between the emitted signal and the return signal is measured and the length parameter is calculated based on this difference.

A compound for forming a foamy slag layer for use in an electric arc furnace, is described. The electric arc furnace has a chamber for melting scrap steel and an opening for introducing material into the chamber. The compound has un-calcined dolomite ore having a weight percentage from about 10% to about 60% and carbon having a weight percentage from about 40% to about 90%. The un-caicined dolomite ore and carbon are introduced to the chamber of the electric arc furnace while the scrap steel is being melted to form a foamy slag layer on the surface of the molten steel.

The object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency when operating the melting/refining furnace of the cold iron source using a burners and a lance, or during refining, and the present invention provides a method for operating a melting/refining furnace comprising a through hole so as to penetrate a furnace wall, at least one burners provided in the through hole; and at least one lances installed in an oxidant gas supply hole provided above the through-hole for the burner, wherein an amount of oxygen introduced in the melting step is adjusted to a range calculated based on a the furnace volume.

A sealing system for isolating the environment inside a vitrification container from the outside environment comprises a vitrification container with a lid. The lid comprises two or more electrode seal assemblies through which two or more electrodes may be operatively positioned and extend down through the lid into the vitrification container. The electrodes may move axially up and down through the electrode seal assemblies or lock into place. The electrode seal assemblies each comprise a housing having two halves with recessed ring grooves. Sealing rings with a split may be placed into the grooves. Gas galleries may be machined or cast into the housing such that they are adjacent to the ring grooves. The gas galleries distribute gas onto the external faces of the sealing rings causing a change in pressure resulting in the sealing rings compressing onto the electrodes and forming a seal.