Metals are smelted properly. An electrolytic smelting furnace includes a furnace body, a furnace bottom electrode provided at a bottom part in the furnace body, and an upper electrode provided above the furnace bottom electrode in the furnace body, and the upper electrode includes a conductive compound with a spinel-type structure.

A method of producing steel by charging a furnace with scrap metal and agglomerated oxy-carbon material into a workspace of a furnace, to reduce specific electricity consumption when melting. Increasing the iron output quantity by inputting electric energy, fuel, a carburizer, a flux and gaseous oxygen, using electric arc melting with decarburization of a metal bath, and releasing metal and slag from the furnace. Prior to melting, a portion of the material is loaded with a first portion of the metal charge into the central zone of the furnace, and the remaining material into the melted charge during melting 0.5-10 kg/min per 1 megavolt-ampere of electric arc transformer power. The oxy-carbon material size is between 5 and 80 millimeters.

Melting plant having a melting chamber which by way of a gas protection hood is separated from the environment, wherein the gas protection hood or another part of the melting chamber encasement has a lead through in which an electrode rod for moving an electrode to be melted is guided in a gas-tight manner by way of a sealing means. Hydraulic or pneumatic equalisation means, for exerting on the electrode rod equalisation forces which are in a proportional correlation with the gas pressure prevailing within the melting chamber are provided so as to compensate for the gas-pressure forces acting on the electrode rod.

Melting plant having a melting chamber which by way of a gas protection hood is separated from the environment, wherein the gas protection hood or another part of the melting chamber encasement has a lead through in which an electrode rod for moving an electrode to be melted is guided in a gas-tight manner by way of a sealing means. Hydraulic or pneumatic equalisation means, for exerting on the electrode rod equalisation forces which are in a proportional correlation with the gas pressure prevailing within the melting chamber are provided so as to compensate for the gas-pressure forces acting on the electrode rod.

A metal forming apparatus includes a smelting device, a molding device, an injection device and a vacuumizing device. The smelting device defines a smelting chamber, and includes a rotatable crucible and a heating unit both disposed within the smelting chamber. The molding device defines a molding chamber sealedly communicated with the smelting chamber. The injection device includes a charging barrel assembly sealedly disposed at a joint between the molding device and the smelting device and an injection unit sealedly connected with the smelting device. The vacuumizing device is sealedly connected with the smelting device and the molding device respectively so as to vacuumize the smelting chamber and the molding chamber.

A device for positioning at least one electrode for smelting furnaces includes a container made of metal structural work lined with refractory material (crucible) and a water-cooled structure and by a lid or roof with which vertical electrodes are associated, each one being slideably associated with temporary locking elements, such as a column locking clamp. The device is arranged to the side of a smelting furnace and below a parking position of the electrodes in the periods of interruption of operation of the smelting furnace. The device is constituted by a fixed base with which at least one lifting element, which can slide vertically with respect to the fixed base and is provided with elements that are adapted to determine its position in terms of height and is provided with a load cell, is associated in an upper region.