ELECTRIC ARC SMELTING

Electric arc furnaces (EAFs) are extensively utilized in steelmaking and ferroalloy production, operating under high temperatures and in various atmospheric conditions to process different metals and alloys. This study focuses on the versatility of EAFs, highlighting their application in melting scrap metal and producing carbon steel and alloys from diverse feed sources. We explore the smelting process for vanadium titanomagnetite (VTM), a significant ore for vanadium recovery, which involves analyzing the slag properties and optimizing furnace conditions based on titanium and silicon behaviors during processing. The methodology includes thermodynamic analyses using FactSage 7.0 to evaluate the activities of calcium and magnesium in enhancing titanium slag formation. Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted to validate these thermodynamic predictions, quantifying their impact on titanium recovery during the smelting process. Results demonstrate that higher titanium content can affect the efficiency of slag-metal separation, providing insights into improving EAF operations. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on electric arc smelting and its critical role in modern metallurgy, particularly in optimizing the processing of high-melting-point ores.