Electric Arc Furnace - Primary steelmaking

sketchfab

Electric Arc Furnaces (EAFs) are used to produce high-quality steel and carbon steels primarily by recycling ferrous scrap materials. In an EAF, scrap metal and/or manufactured iron units such as DRI, pig iron, or iron carbide are melted and converted into steel using high-power electric arcs formed between a cathode and one or three anodes. An electric current is passed through the electrodes to create a powerful arc that generates intense heat. This heat melts the scrap metal rapidly. The electricity required for this process can power a town with 100,000 residents. During the melting process, other metals called ferro-alloys are added to the steel to give it the precise chemical composition needed. Scrap metal is by far the most crucial resource used in EAFs, accounting for approximately 80% of all electric arc furnace metal feedstock. A modern EAF can produce around 150 tonnes of high-quality steel in a single melt, which takes about 90 minutes to complete.