Ladle Refining Furnace Process & Characteristics

Ladle refining furnace process: Ladle refining furnace is an electric furnace used to refine molten steel from primary refining furnaces (such as electric arc furnaces, open hearth furnaces, and converters).

Its main functions include adjusting the temperature of molten steel and process buffering to meet the needs of metallurgical processes such as continuous casting and continuous rolling.

LF Furnace Ladle Refining Furnace Process

• 1. Ladle into refining position:

The ladle filled with molten steel is hoisted to the refining station and prepared for refining operations.

• 2. Argon stirring & control:

Argon is blown into the molten steel through the permeable bricks installed at the bottom of the ladle, so that the molten steel has a stirring function, which helps to homo

genize the composition and temperature of the molten steel.

• 3. Ladle permeability inspection & treatment:

Ensure that the permeable bricks have good permeability to ensure effective stirring of argon.

• 4. Molten steel heating & permeability maintenance:

The molten steel is heated by electric arc heating and the appropriate refining temperature is maintained. At the same time, continue to maintain the normal operation of the permeability system.

• 5. Ladle opens to heating position (if necessary):

According to the refining needs, it may be necessary to move the ladle to the heating position for further heating operations.

• 6. Slag quantity control & modification:

According to the requirements of refining furnace process, the amount of slag added is controlled, and the slag is modified to improve the performance of the slag.

• 7. White slag refining & adjustment:

By quickly making white slag, refining operations such as desulfurization, deoxidation, improving alloy yield and removing inclusions are carried out. This step is a key link in the ladle refining furnace, and the composition and properties of the slag need to be strictly controlled.

• 8. Atmosphere control & stirring:

By adjusting the flow rate and stirring intensity of argon gas, the atmosphere in the refining furnace is controlled to promote the refining reaction.

• 9. Alloy fine-tuning & composition control:

According to the refining target, the molten steel is alloy-fine-tuned to accurately control the composition of the molten steel.

In addition, the LRF refining furnaces also has a vacuum degassing function, which can remove harmful gases such as hydrogen and nitrogen in the molten steel through vacuum treatment during the refining process, further improving the purity and performance of the molten steel.

Features of LRF Refining Furnaces

The ladle furnace is one of the main equipment for off-furnace refining. refinging furnace process characteristics include:

1. Ideal refining atmosphere: vacuum, inert gas or reducing gas is usually used to create an environment conducive to molten steel refining.

2. Stirring molten steel: Electromagnetic force or blowing inert gas may be used to stir the molten steel to promote chemical reactions and remove impurities.

3. Compensation for temperature loss: Through special design, the ladle furnace can compensate for the drop in molten steel temperature during refining.

In actual operation, the specific operating details and parameters of each step may vary depending on factors such as steel type, refining target and equipment conditions. Therefore, when conducting LF refining, a detailed refining plan and operating procedures need to be formulated according to the specific situation.

In general, the ladle refining furnace process flow is a complex and delicate process, which requires strict control of the operating parameters and conditions of each link to ensure the refining of high-quality, high-performance molten steel.