METHOD FOR SHIELDING NONCONSUMABLE ELECTRODE IN SLAG MELT Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy; electric furnaces with slag-melt immersed electrodes. SUBSTANCE: method for shielding nonconsumable electrode that has holder connected to power supply and melt- dipped metal tip made of carbide-forming material and provided with axial hole involves feeding reducing gas through mentioned axial hole. Electrode power is chosen to ensure specific power of 10 to 20 MW/cu.m in near- electrode zone, where volume of the latter is determined as volume of cylinder, H+d_el/2 high and 2,38d_el in diameter; flowrate of hydrocarbon-containing reducing gas is found from equation , where Q_g is flowrate of gas, cu. mn/h; d_n is nozzle diameter, m; d_el is electrode diameter, m; H is immersion depth of electrode in slag melt, m. Carbon content in hydrocarbon-containing reducing gas is maintained between 0.4 and 0.5 kg per 1 cu.nm which contributes to cutting down reducing-gas consumption. EFFECT: improved operating reliability of electrode at lower consumption of reducing gas. 3 cl, 1 dwg