1. Electric arc furnace

1.1 General

The principle of this furnace is very simple: an electric arc is struck between a graphite electrode, which carries the electric current, and the metal charge to be melted, which acts as the mass. The heat released by this arc is used directly for melting.

Although the first electric furnaces were initially designed for the production of aluminum and ferroalloys, the introduction of electric steelmaking in the field of ferrous metals marked a decisive break in the way iron and steel are made, as this type of furnace can operate with a charge made up of 100% recycled scrap. The first furnace to melt steel was invented around 1900 by the Frenchman P. Héroult, but due to the cost of electrical energy, industrial production of "electric steel" only really...