Steel recycling and the melting processes utilize a specialized piece of equipment called an arc furnace to melt and extract metals. In the middle of the heating process, large graphite electrodes carry high amounts of electricity and turn red-hot. But what are graphite electrodes and how are they manufactured?
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If you are familiar with arc welding, you know that a current is passed from an electrode (rod) to the metal parts you want to weld. A welding rod (which is made from a material like steel or aluminum) may or may not contain a flux core. Friction from the electric current then heats the rod, melting it into the metal joint to form a strong weld.
In an arc furnace, however, the welding rods are much larger but serve the same basic principle. Large electrodes (made from carbon compounds) come in many different sizes, depending on the needs of the steel melt shop facility.
To begin the process, the raw materials are ground together. Next, they mix with a liquid pitch. Pitch is a tar type of resin, and when mixed with the raw materials, it forms a graphite mixture which is then placed into molds. The molds are then vibrated at high speeds to compact the mixture.
The electrodes turn into pitch coke and bake, creating a solid electrode. To improve the texture, the electrodes enter an autoclave where they soak up the liquid pitch. After soaking, they bake again to solidify their composition.
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By baking the electrodes at degrees Celsius, they become graphite. In order to create a completed product, some machining (to customer specifications and needs) is typically needed.
Since electrodes are consumable materials, it&#;s important to have plenty on hand for your business, which is why we always supply high-quality graphite electrodes.
Steel requires extreme temperatures in order to melt into liquid form to be used in other metal fabrication processes, and graphite is able to conduct electricity at even extremely high temperatures.
The electric arc furnaces themselves are large containers. The steel scraps for recycling are placed into the container and the roof is lowered. The graphite rods, or electrodes are components of the roof structure of the furnaces and are assembled into columns and attached to the roof. Depending on the manufacturer, the electrodes can be as small as 3 inches in diameter, or as large as 30 inches. This will also be dependent on the size of the furnace and the volume of material requiring melting.
The electrodes will reach up to °F, half the temperature of the surface of the sun and therefore machined graphite must be used as it is the only material that can withstand such high temperatures and maintain its shape and structure, as well as continue to conduct electricity. The electrodes are attached to an electrical source and in turn generate that energy into heat.
Graphite electrodes are typically coated with siloxane fluid which is able to reduce oxidation at extreme temperatures. The different specifics of graphite electrodes are chosen based on various application considerations such as furnace design, power level, fume control system, scrap requirements and charging practice. These factors will help to determine the particle size, shape and length of the graphite electrodes.
Electrodes are typically formed using an extrusion process in order to maintain material integrity and form the desired length and shape. After the steel has melted as a result of the extreme temperatures, it is drained into vats and moved quickly to metal fabrication processes to be made into new metal products. Further uses for graphite electrodes include refining steel in ladle furnaces, smelting processes and for removing defects in castings and weldings.
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