Understanding the Benefits of

Electric Arc Furnace Technology

M
inerals processed via electric sel that uses electricity to melt minerals or 24 hours. The solidified ingot then goes
arc furnace technology provide other materials. The process begins when through various size reduction and pow-
optimal purity, porosity, and the dry minerals are weighed and mixed der processing steps to achieve the mate-
crystal size to meet the increasingly strin- together, then evenly distributed through- rials desired finished properties.
gent needs of a range of industries. out the furnace via feed chutes. Power is Virtually any oxide material can be pro-
Whether a finishing process uses sand- supplied to the furnace by a transformer cessed in an electric arc furnace. Because the
paper or a grinding wheel, pressure blasting and graphite electrodes. The electrodes materials are melted and actually reach the
or thermal spraying, abrasive and ceramic are lowered into the furnace, touching the liquid state, the end result is a near-perfect
grains and powders play an integral role in materials, and an electric arc is formed fusion. Lets take a look at mullite as an
the appearance and performance of thou- between the electrodes. The arc then melts example. To produce mullite, alumina and
sands of products that are used every day the materials, resulting in a liquid bath. silica are put in the electric arc furnace and
all over the world. These minerals, which Temperatures in an electric arc furnace the electrodes produce the arc, heating the
are also used to produce ceramic parts can be quite high, around 1800-2500C, two minerals and melting them together.
and kiln furniture, among other refractory depending on the melting point of the After being poured from the furnace, the
products, undergo a meticulous production materials being fused. To avoid burn- mixture cools within the mold as an alumi-
process in order to meet the increasingly through, the steel vessel is equipped with a num silicate compound to form the mullite
stringent requirements of various end-use water cooling system that chills the liquid structure. The end product is a near 100%
applications. A vital aspect of that process is material up against the shell and causes conversion of alumina and silica into mullite.
the electric arc furnace, which helps ensure the formation of what is called a skull. The
the minerals optimal purity, porosity, and skull acts as a protective barrier between THE FUSION ADVANTAGE
crystal size. the molten liquid and the steel shell. Fused minerals see multiple benefits
Once the optimal chemistry is achieved compared to those produced through
THE FUSION PROCESS in the melted material, it is poured into other processes, such as sintering. Before
Simply put, an electric arc furnace is a ves- a mold and moved to a cooling area for a sintering process can even begin, the
materials need to be sized very carefully crystals of alumina in a grinding material Quality control and assurance from start
in order to ensure the desired reaction. would prove to be quite aggressive, since to finish is key to ensuring that the finished
The electric arc furnace does not require the cutting particles are larger. On the materials meet customers expectations.
such precisely sized materials, however, other hand, large crystals in a grinding Raw materials are evaluated before they
saving both time and energyand the material with a fairly coarse grit (e.g., 24 are sent to the electric arc furnace, as is the
resulting costs. or 30 grit) would be difficult to achieve via fused material when it comes out of furnace
A sintered material also typically has sintering, which typically results in fairly and again in the cooled state. Chemical and
much more porosity than a fused miner- small crystal sizes. physical tests are performed, depending on
al, due to the lower temperatures involved Some finished compositions might the material(s), to determine factors such
in the sintering process. Since materials require the inclusion of 4-5 different oxide as purity, particle size and density. Visual
in the fusion process are in their liquid minerals, which is difficult to achieve inspections for color are performed as well.
state, porosity is reduced dramatically. In through sintering. Blending those oxides
fact, the bulk specific gravity of a fused and then adding them to the electric arc CUSTOM FUSIONS
mineral is very close to its theoretical furnace to melt them together results in a Washington Mills offers customers the op-
specific gravity, which is not the case with completely fused final material. portunity to explore new, custom material
a sintered material. Other formulations might benefit from formulations through its Product Devel-
Purity is another impressive benefit the low thermal conductivity provided by opment Service. A test furnace is used for
of the electric arc furnace technology. As alumina bubbles, which can serve as an ide- initial tests to determine if the material in
mentioned previously, the fusion process al insulating material in some applications. question is a feasible prospect for fusion.
results in a virtual 100% conversion of the These bubbles can be easily produced in an If the material melts (without requiring
minerals. If we look back at our example of electric arc furnace by melting the alumina too much power) and pours well, it can be
mullite, the same alumina and silica pro- and pouring it through an air stream in such strategically scaled up and evaluated.
cessed through sintering would not be able
to achieve the electric arc furnaces 100%
mullite end product. In addition, a small Washington Mills offers
percentage of unreacted alumina and silica
would remain following sintering, creating customers the opportunity to
waste and process inefficiencies.
Minerals can also actually be purified explore new, custom material
during the electric arc fusion process.
While the initial minerals are in their liq-
formulations through its Product
uid state, other materials can be added in
order to increase purity or change chem-
Development Service.
istry. Bauxite, for example, is high in
alumina but typically includes contami- a way that hollow spheres are formed. This Increasingly larger-sized furnace shells
nants like silica, iron and titania. Bauxite process is not possible with sintering. can be used in a larger furnace melting the
is melted in an electric arc furnace in the same material. The feasibility at that size
presence of carbon which reduces the AFTER THE MELT is evaluated, including the required power
iron oxide down to an iron metal, and, The cooled ingot of fused material can be input, chemistries, etc. If those results are
since it has a higher specific gravity than 4 to12 tons in mass, depending on the size satisfactory, a larger run (e.g., 50-200 tons)
the alumina, it settles to the bottom of of the mold. From there, it has to be broken will be performed in a production furnace.
the furnace. Silica and some of the titania down and ground to the right size. The pro- Again, all of the same tests are conducted to
in the bauxite are also reduced, increas- cess begins when the ingot is dumped onto a ensure that the finished material meets the
ing the alumina content from 80-85% steel floor. An electromagnet is used to pick required specificationswith no surprises.
in the raw material and up to 95-96% in up a steel ball and drop it repeatedly onto the
the fused product. Sintering simply cant ingot, breaking it into smaller pieces. FUSING A WINNING PARTNERSHIP
facilitate these types of adjustments; con- When these pieces are small enough, Fused minerals produced in an electric arc
tamination from the furnace lining can they are sent through a series of crush- furnace offer multiple benefits, including low
also be experienced with sintering. ers and screens that eventually separate porosity, high purity, and larger crystal sizes,
Electric arc furnace technologys other out coarse sizes, mid-sizes, and fine sizes. compared to sintering and other processes.
main benefit lies in crystal size, which can High-intensity rare earth magnets are Partnering with a company experienced in
have a significant impact on the finished used to remove any crushing iron that was electric arc furnace technology can provide
productparticularly in grinding materi- added during the size reduction process. not only a stable supply of high-quality mate-
als. When the liquid material is poured Materials that dont meet specifications rial for todays needs, but the opportunity to
into a mold, depending on the mold de- can be sent through the process again, explore and produce new material formula-
sign, fairly large crystals can result. Large eliminating scrap. tions for expanded success in the future.