Steel Processing in Energy Optimizing Furnace: 4.1 Preparation of Eof
Steel Processing in Energy Optimizing Furnace: 4.1 Preparation of Eof
Steel Processing in Energy Optimizing Furnace: 4.1 Preparation of Eof
CHAPTER 4
Thereafter, the fingers are closed and the sliding door on top of the
EOF is opened and scrap is charged using the specially designed scrap bucket
with the help of EOT crane. The EOF hearth is lined with basic refractory, in
which 20% pre-heated scrap is charged followed by 80% liquid iron is poured
through the hot metal launder using the hot metal charging crane. During the
hot metal pouring, lime is added into the EOF through the automatic feeding
system such that it melts during the hot metal pouring.
62
70 Atmospheric Injector
60
50
40
30
Submerged tuyere
20 Supersonic Lance Hand Lance
10
TIME IN MINUTES
raise the temperature of the bath and melts the scrap. The carbon required for
the reaction is introduced through the hot metal and partly by solid pig iron.
The submerged oxygen blowing through the tuyeres and supersonic lance
helps to create a very strong turbulence in the steel bath that facilitates in
achieving the short blowing periods. Sources of oxygen blow are listed along
with their respective average yield in terms of carbon removal from the bath,
generating CO are shown in Table 4.1 hereunder:
(Min)
Time
(Min)
( C)
Time
processing. As soon as the tapping temperature and desired carbon level in the
bath is achieved, the tap hole is opened using oxygen lancing and steel free
from oxidizing slag is tapped into the steel ladle. During tapping, primary de-
oxidation of steel is carried out with the addition of aluminium and silico-
manganese. The reducing slag is formed using lime and fluxes to facilitate
subsequent secondary refining process. Typical blow period of EOF is 30/35
minutes and tap–to–tap time is 45/50 minutes as shown hereunder:
Refractory repair 5
Scrap charging 2
Hot metal charging 5
Oxygen blowing 30
Tapping 5
Reserve Time 3
Total 50
The EOF heat balance for steel bath and furnace atmosphere is
shown in Table 4.2. EOF is an energy efficient oxygen steel making process.
It utilizes the energy available from the three following sources:
Heat Input
Mcal/ ton of
Mcal/heat
steel
Heat Output
Mcal/ton of
Mcal/heat
steel
1. Liquid Steel Enthalpy 10.532 341.6
2. Slag Enthalpy 2.726 88.4
3. Gas Enthalpy 1.914 62.1
4. Dust Enthalpy 1.08 3.5
5. Heal Losses through Panels 1.408 48.6
6. Heat Losses through Refractories/door 1.817 58.9
TOTAL 18.595 603.2
Difference Input-Output -51
67
The liquid hot metal poured in the EOF benefits the process from
the viewpoint of chemical energy as stated above as well as the enthalpy of
hot metal itself.
2. High Productivity
10. Flexibility in charge mix from 100% to 70% of hot metal and
rest cold charge. Sponge iron feeding continuously through
conveyor is also possible.