Inert Gas Stirring in Electric Arc Furnaces: Metallurgical Benefits with a focus on medium- and high-alloyed steelmaking.

13 May 2026, 12:20
20m
Porta room (Milan Marriott Hotel)

Porta room

Milan Marriott Hotel

Oral Presentation EEC 2.A Energy efficiency and consumption reduction strategies Energy Efficiency and Consumption Reduction

Speaker

Matthias Höck (RHI Magnesita)

Description

Minimum conversion cost of alloyed steel production in the electric arc furnace require optimum mixing of the molten metal during melting and refining. Improved heat transfer accelerates the melting of larger scrap pieces for time and energy savings. Homogeneous distribution of alloy elements and carbon in the melt decreases the unwanted oxidation of alloys, e.g. Chromium for better metal yield and slag characteristics.
Inert gas stirring is an established method for improving process control, energy efficiency, metal yield, melting time, and metallurgical performance in EAF steelmaking areas such as oxygen control and dephosphorisation. To support these benefits and meet the increasing demands of larger EAFs in integrated steel plants, the portfolio of purging plugs has been expanded to meet the higher flow rates. The improvements in EAF process efficiency and metallurgy achieved with inert gas stirring are presented in industrial case studies.

Speaker Company/University RHI Magnesita
Speaker Country Austria

Primary author

Marcus Kirschen (RHI Magnesita)

Co-authors

Daniel Sipos (RHI Magnesita) Matthias Höck (RHI Magnesita) Michael Freiler (RHI Magnesita) Sumit Sundaram (RHI Magnesita) Uxia Dieguez Salgado (RHI Magnesita)