Simulation and application of tapping online refining in EAF steelmaking process

In the tapping process of electric arc furnace, aluminium is usually charged into the ladle to remove the oxygen, which increased the cost and reduced steel cleanliness. Recently, a new technology called Tapping Online Refining (TOR) has been developed to solve the problem of peroxidation and excessive inclusions. In this study, both numerical simulation and water experiment were developed to investigate the behaviour of carbon powder supplied with nitrogen into the tapping flowing, the mixing time and powder utilization efficiency under various injection angles. The results showed that when the lance angle was 50 degrees, the macro movement of carbon powder particles could create the best kinetic conditions. Industrial experiment was carried out in a 65t consteel EAF, and showed that, compared with traditional process, the TOR process can increase the alloy utilization by 3-5% and reduce over 40% of the initial precipitation deoxidation inclusions.

Automated summary

The study focused on a new technology called Tapping Online Refining to solve the issue of peroxidation and excessive inclusions in the tapping process of an electric arc furnace. Results showed that this technology can significantly increase alloy utilization and reduce initial precipitation deoxidation inclusions.