Process Improvements for Direct Reduced Iron Melting in the Electric Arc Furnace with Emphasis on Slag Operation

Steelmaking based on direct reduced iron (DRI, and its compacted derivative hot briquetted iron, HBI) is an anticipated important global alternative to current steel production based on FeOx reduction in blast furnaces due to its lower specific CO2 emission. The majority of DRI is melted and refined in the electric arc furnace with different process conditions compared to the melting of steel scrap due to its raw material composition being rather different. We provide data and analysis of slag composition of DRI charges vs. steel scrap charges for 16 industrial electric arc furnaces (EAFs). Suggestions for optimized slag operation and resulting process improvements of DRI melting in the EAF are given. A dynamic mass and energy model of the DRI melting in the EAF is introduced to illustrate the implications of the adapted slag operation on the EAF process with DRI charges.

Automated summary

Steelmaking based on direct reduced iron offers a lower CO2 emission alternative to traditional blast furnace production, with DRI being melted and refined in electric arc furnaces under different conditions. Data and analysis of slag composition in 16 EAFs are provided to optimize slag operation and improve the DRI melting process in EAFs.