30+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN CARBON INDUSTRY

The submerged arc furnace (SAF)—also known as a submerged arc reduction furnace—is the primary equipment and technology used for ferroalloy production.This process utilizes electrical energy as the main heat source and carbonaceous reducing agents to reduce iron ore,yielding the deoxidizers and alloying agents essential for steel making. In our country, ferroalloys produced by submerged arc furnaces account for over 80% of the country's total ferroalloy output, making this the primary furnace type used in the industry.

Electrode paste is used for the self-baking electrodes of submerged arc furnaces. it is charged into the electrode shell. The high temperatures and thermal energy required for ferroalloy production are typically generated by converting electrical energy delivered into the furnace via these self-baking electrodes, they soften, volatilize, carbonize, and sinter into conductive  electrodes as they descend. The self-baking electrode is a critical component of the submerged arc furnace system, and a fundamental prerequisite for the ferroalloy smelting process.

Given that high-temperature production requires continuous operation, which often spanning several years without interruption, so the self-baking electrodes of submerged arc furnaces must be capable of maintaining a continuous flow of electricity. To this end, the quality, performance, baking technology, and operating conditions of the electrode paste must all meet the technical requirements for continuous production.

Of course, beyond the quality of the electrode paste, ensuring the normal operation of the submerged arc furnace requires stability in several areas: on-site operating procedures(maintaining the paste column height typically 3.0–3.5 m for large furnaces), feed charging, the interface between copper contact shoes and self-baking electrodes, and the coordination between furnace conditions and the cooling system. Failure to maintain this stability could lead to issues such as electrode hard breaks, soft breaks, or paste hanging, should these result in a furnace shutdown for repairs, the associated costs would be substantial.