Iron and Steel Making

Part 2: Steel Making

Lecture 2: Part 2
Submerged Arc Furnace
Prof. Dr. Hafiz A. Ahmed
Dr. Lamiaa Z. Mohamed

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 The modern submerged arc furnace process

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 Contents

1. Introduction
2. Arc Furnace
3. Submerged Arc Furnace
3.1 Furnace Description
3.2 Furnace Electrodes
3.3 Ferrosilicon Production
3.4 Ferromanganese Production
3.5 Furnace Operations

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 1. Introduction

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 A variety of furnace types, including submerged

electric arc furnaces, exothermic

(metallothermic) reaction furnaces, and

electrolytic cells can be used to produce

ferroalloys.

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 2. Arc Furnaces

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 Arc furnaces are classified according to their
methods of heating such as the direct and indirect
furnaces and also the furnaces with a submerged
arc. Direct arc furnaces produce electric arcs that
burn between the electrodes and the body being
heated. In indirect arc furnaces, the arcs burn
between the electrodes at a certain distance from
the materials being heated. The arcs are also
categorized according to their supply, as either AC
or DC furnaces.

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 3. Submerged Arc Furnace

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 • In most cases, the submerged electric arc

furnace produces the desired product directly.

• It may produce an intermediate product that is

subsequently used in additional processing

methods.

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 Typical submerged arc furnace design

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 The submerged arc process is a reduction smelting operation.

The reactants consist of metallic ores (ferrous oxides, silicon

oxides, manganese oxides, chrome oxides, etc.) and a carbon-

source reducing agent, usually in the form of coke, charcoal,

high- and low-volatility coal, or wood chips. Limestone may

also be added as a flux material.

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 • Raw materials are crushed, sized, and, in some cases,
dried, and then conveyed to a mix house for weighing
and blending. Conveyors, buckets, skip hoists, or cars
transport the processed material to hoppers above the
furnace.

• The mix is then gravity-fed through a feed chute either

continuously or intermittently, as needed.

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 At high temperatures in the reaction zone, the carbon source

reacts with metal oxides to form carbon monoxide and to

reduce the ores to the base metal. A typical reaction

producing ferrosilicon is :

Fe2O3 + 2SiO2 + 7C  2FeSi + 7CO

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 Smelting in an electric arc furnace is accomplished by
conversion of electrical energy to heat. An alternating
current applied to the electrodes causes current to flow
through the charge between the electrode tips. This cause
the formation of a reaction zone of temperature up to
2000°C. The tip of each electrode changes polarity
continuously as the alternating current flows between the
tips. To maintain a uniform electric load, electrode depth
is continuously varied automatically by mechanical or
hydraulic means.
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 3.1 Furnace Description

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 SAF used for production of (ferrochromium , ferrosilicon,
ferromanganese…..) consists of a refractory-lined steel
vessel, usually water-cooled in larger sizes, covered with a
retractable roof, and through which carbon or graphite
electrodes enter the furnace. A submerged arc furnace is
primarily split into three sections namely:

• the shell, which consists of the sidewalls and lower steel

'bowl'.
• the hearth, which consists of the refractory that lines the
lower bowl.
• the roof, which may be refractory-lined or water-cooled,
being spherical or conical section.

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 The hearth may be hemispherical, halved
egg in shape, or having an eccentric
bottom tapping furnace. Modern
furnaces are often raised off the ground
floor, so that ladles, crucible or slag pots
can easily be maneuvered under the
furnace.
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 Submerged Arc Furnace for Ferroalloys production

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Cross-section through the lining of the submerged arc furnace for
Ferroalloys production

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 3.2 Furnace Electrodes

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• The electrodes that are made from carbon or graphite provide the
electrical link between the bus-bar supply and the hot reaction zone
of the furnace.
• They carry high currents and are able to withstand the very high
temperatures generated by the electric arcs.
• The Söderberg – self baking- electrode, invented by C.W.
Söderberg, is a continuous electrode that is built-up and renewed as
it is consumed during the production of either ferrochrome or
ferrosilicon in a SAF.
• The primary objective of the electrode is to induce heat to the
furnace for the smelting operation.

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 • There are three Söderberg electrodes per furnace to form a three-phase
power circuit.
• The three electrodes that are situated in the form of a triangle and
separated by wooden boards to prevent any accidental connection of
the two phases that can cause serious damage to the casing due to
arcing.
• Each electrode is approximately 19 meters high from the electrode tip
to the top pointer at the casing top. The electrodes’ cooling
mechanisms protect them from overheating due to the prevailing high
temperature of the furnace.

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 Electrode layout in the furnace

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 • The electrode column consists of the supporting
structure for the electrode, the electrode itself
(which weighs approx. 20 tons) and a connection
system for transferring current from the flexible into
the electrode.

• The electrode is surrounded by a steel casing filled

with carbon-based electrode paste blocks or
cylinders

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 Electrode Column

Electrode casings.
Interior of electrode casing

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 3.3 Production of Ferrosilicon

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 Raw Materials of Ferrosilicon Production

1. Source of Silicon

2. Source of Iron

3. Reducing Agent

4. Source of Heat

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 1. Source of Silicon

A. Pure Silica
B. Quartzite (Quartz containing small
amount of gangue materials)

Properties of SiO2
A. Melting point = 1726 ͦC
B. Boling point = 2275 ͦC

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 2. Source of Iron

1.Mill scale 3. Iron ore

2. Scrap

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 3. Reducing Agent
The reducing materials must have properties needed to achieve :

• High Si yield by controlling the size and reactivity with siog

• The product specifications and environmental considerations by

controlling the impurity elements (e.g. phosphorus ,mercury …)

Based on costs and availability reduction materials used are :

• Coal
• charcoal
• Petroleum coke

Metallurgical coke is not used as it gives lower SiOg reactivity to form SiC

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 4. Source of Heat
1. The reduction of SiO2 and Iron oxides by carbon as reducing agent
needs to heat up the oxides to temperatures above the temperatures
of intersection the oxides lines and C/CO line in Ellingham Diagram.

2. The main source of heat in Electric Arc Furnaces is the electric energy
as the heat is generated through the arcs formed between the tips of
electrodes and the charge materials in the hearth of the furnace and
by resisting heating as the electric current passes through the charge
materials to electrodes.

3. Exothermic reactions takes place in the furnace especially in the upper

parts as CO & SiOg gases formed in the reaction zone flow upwards and
reacted with oxygen to form SiO2 & CO2 according the reaction :

SiOg +CO+ 2O2 = SiO2+CO2 +heat

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 Ellingham Diagram
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 Ferrosilicon Smelting Technology

1. Silicon and ferrosilicon are produced carbothermally in submerged

electric arc furnace (SAF).

2. The difference between Si production and FeSi production is the

presence of Fe in the system.

3. Fe lowers the activity of (Si) in the alloy which allows:

 the production of (FeSi) at lower temperature,

 higher (Si) yields as (Si) can be transferred from oxide melt layer
at the top of the liquid pool in the hearth to the
bottom (FeSi) layer, and
 lower power consumption per ton of the (FeSi) alloy

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The schematic of the silicon smelting plant process

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 Ferrosilicon Smelting Plant Process

The Plant consists of the following production units:

1. Submerged arc furnace

2. The mix units where the raw materials are weighed
and mixed,
3. The electric system giving energy to the furnace
4. The off-gas unit to cool down and remove gases from
the furnace.
5. The processing units to cast and crush the alloy.

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 Basics of Reduction Processes
1. Electric energy is fed into the charge through the submerged electrode.

2. Electric current of an electrode passing through the gas cavity formed

around the electrode tip into the liquid bath and up the next electrode.

3. An arc is ignited between tip and liquid through the gas cavity.

4. The arc is the source of heating in the arc furnace increasing the
temperature of the charge materials to 1800 C to 2000 C.

5. The charge For FeSi production is mainly silica ,iron oxides and carbon
added from the top of the furnace at ambient temperature.

6. In the high temperature zone near the electrodes tips, SiOg and COg are
formed according the following reaction;
SiO2 + C  SiOg +COg

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 Con. Basics of Reduction Processes
7. SiOg & Cog rise up through the charge must be controlled to prevent the
escape of SiOg out the furnace forming fine silica fume (SiO2) leading to
low silicon yield and very high pure consumption due to high energy
needed to form SiOg.
8. The reactivity of carbon material with SiOg to form SiC must be high to
control the silicon yield and pure consumption as SiOg from the high
temperature zone rises to the cooler top area where it reacts with
carbon
SiOg + C  SiC + Cog
This reaction is very important because SiOg will leave the furnace and
oxidize to form silica fume.

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 The possible reactions in ferrosilicon production process in submerged
arc furnace (SAF) can be divided into the following:
Reaction in the high temperature zone (hearth)
SiO2 +C  SiOg +Cog
𝑀𝑒𝑙𝑡
FeO(s) + SiO2 (SiO.FeO)L
SiO2 +C  Si(L) +2COg
SiC + SiO2(L)  2Si +2CO
FeO +C  Fe(L) +Cog
Si(L) + Fe(L)  FeSi(L)
SiC and FeO move down with charge material to high temperature zone
to be reduced to form FeSi alloy.

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 Reactions at top of the furnace:
SiOg +0.5O2  SiO2(s) + Heat
CO +0.5O2  CO2 + Heat
SiO2 formed will moves down with the charge material to the high
temperature zone.

Reactions outside the furnace:

SiOg +0.5O2  SiO2(S.F.)
CO + 0.5O2  CO2

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 3.4 Ferromanganese Production

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 Ferromanganese Technology

Manganese has four modification at ambient pressure:

727 ℃ 1090℃ 1138℃
α Mn (complex cubic) β Mn (complex cubic) δ Mn (FCC) δ Mn(BCC)

• Melting point = 1244 ℃

• Boling point = 2150 ℃

• It have valances from (1+) to (7+) of which (2+) and (4+) are the most
common.

• Mn is added to steel for the following reasons:

 Alloying element to improve strength toughness and hardness.
 Sulfur control as Mn combines with sulfides.
 Oxygen removal

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 • Mn plays a key role in steels because of its ability to
combine with sulfur: Mn sulfide avoid the hot shortness
of the steel and prevents the interstitial liquid formation
of iron sulfide.

• Mn is a milder deoxidizer than Si or Al. but enhance the

effectiveness of Al and Si by formation of stable Mn
silicates and Mn aluminates.

• Deoxidation will silico-manganeses results in cleaner

steel due to the formation of liquid manganese silicate
which coalesces and separates more easily from the melt
compare to solid SiO2 formed during FeSi deoxidation.

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 • Mn forms several oxides:
 MnO
 MnO2
 Mn2O3
 Mn3O4

• MnO is the only stable at higher temperatures.

• MnO2, Mn2O3 and Mn3O4 predominate in Mn ores.
• MnO2 and Mn2O3 dissociate to lower oxides when
heated.

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 Manganese Ferroalloys

• Mn is added in steel industry in the form of ferroalloys.

• Mn ferroalloys may be divided into the following categories:

1. FeMn, high –(HC), medium-(MC) and low carbon (LC),
2. Silico-manganese SiMn, Ferro-Silico-manganese FeSiMn,
3. Metallic manganese Mn,
4. Nitride manganese alloys MnN and Nitride silico-
manganese SiMnN

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 Smelting Technologies for Mn alloys

Basics of reduction processes:

• Mn ores always contains some iron oxides.
• Reduction of iron oxides is complicated when temperature
reaches 1200 ℃.
• The product will be a carbon-saturated iron alloy with
increasing content of Mn at increasing reductions in
temperature.
• Last reduction step in MnO(L) +C  Mn(L) +CO taking in the
liquid state with MnO being dissolved in the liquid carbon-
saturated Mn-Fe-C alloy.
• CaO and MgO containing fluxes are usually added to the
charge to flux the other oxides such as Al2O3, CaO in the
Mn ores and in carbon materials to form slag.

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 Mn Ferroalloys are processed by one of the following methods:

First Method: Discard slag method (the flux process)

• In this method, Mn is reduced into alloy in one stage with the
addition of basic fluxes (CaO,MgO) or using a basic ore to decrease
the activity of silica and to increase the activity of MnO in slag.
• Mn recovery is about 80% and about 15 to 20% MnO remains in the
slag which is dumped.

Second Method: the duplex process (more common)

• The ore is processed to produce metal and slag
• Slag contains as much 30% to 50% MnO
• The MnO rich slag is reprocessed for the production of silica-
manganese alloy or manganese metal as shown in the following
figure.

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Duplex (double stage) production of HC FeMn and SiMn

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The interior of a furnace producing (HC- FeMn) consists of two main
zones:
1. The top pre-reduction zone (low temperature)
In this zone, raw materials are heated through heat exchange with
asending hot gases and solid state reduction of higher Mn oxides to
MnO by CO gas takes place.
MnO2 + CO  MnO +CO2 +heat
Mn2O3 +CO  2MnO +CO2+heat
Mn3O4 + CO  3MnO +CO2 +heat
Due to the exothermic nature of these reaction, temperature increases
lead to melting of partially reduced ore.

2. The lower coke bed zone (high temperature zone)

In this zone, pre-reduced and molten ores and fluxes fuse together to
form oxide melt (slag).
This zone has a bed of solid coke, liquid slag and liquid metal.

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 Thank You

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