Full Introduction
Calcium Carbide Electric Arc Furnace: The industry standard name is Submerged Arc Furnace (SAF), commonly known as carbide electric arc furnace. This furnace can accommodate four major smelting products: carbide, ferrosilicon, silicomanganese, and ferrochromium. It is a core electrothermal reduction equipment for both metallurgy and chemical industry.
二,Overall introduction of the equipment
1. Working Principle
Electrothermal carbothermic reduction technology: three self-baking electrodes insert into furnace burden to form submerged electric arc. Heat comes from two sources:
- High-temperature electric arc (1600–2500℃) between electrode tip and raw material
- Resistance heat generated when large current passes through solid furnace charge
Coke/anthracite acts as reducing agent, reducing metal oxides in ore into molten alloy or calcium carbide. Continuous feeding + intermittent tapping for 24h non-stop production.
2. Core Equipment Composition
- Furnace Main Body
Furnace shell (water-cooled steel structure), carbon/magnesia refractory lining, furnace cover, tapping channel, slag outlet, furnace platform. Classified as open, semi-closed, fully closed furnace (fully closed for flue gas recovery & environmental protection).
- Power Supply System
High-voltage transformer, short net conductive system, reactive power compensation & harmonic filtering cabinet, PLC electrical control room. Supports low/high/ultra-high power models (3300kVA ~ 81000kVA).
- Electrode Lifting & Hydraulic System
Hydraulic cylinder, electrode holding clamps, pressure ring, electrode paste feeding device; automatic lifting adjustment to stabilize arc resistance.
- Raw Material Batching & Feeding System
Raw material silos, automatic weighing batcher, belt conveyor, sealed top charging chute, dust-proof feeding mechanism.
- Auxiliary Circulation & Environmental System
Full water cooling circulation unit, flue gas waste heat recovery, bag dust removal system, CO gas collection pipeline, desulfurization & denitrification unit.
- Intelligent Monitoring System
Real-time temperature, current, voltage, furnace pressure & flue gas online monitoring, automatic alarm & load adjustment.
3. Equipment Advantages
- Multi-product Compatibility:One furnace switches between calcium carbide, ferrosilicon, silicomanganese, ferrochromium by adjusting raw material formula, flexible production line layout.
- High Thermal Efficiency:Electrodes buried in burden reduce heat radiation loss, power consumption 8–15% lower than open arc furnaces.
- Low Operation Cost:Self-baking electrodes save graphite consumption; fully closed furnace recycles CO flue gas for power generation or heating.
- Stable Alloy Quality:Precise electric power control ensures stable chemical composition, high metal recovery rate ≥92%.
- Automatic & Low Labor Intensity:Automatic batching, electrode lifting, tapping auxiliary machinery, central PLC control.
- Green Environmental Compliance:Full sealed dust removal + waste heat recovery, meets national industrial emission standards.
4. Technical Parameter Reference Table
| Smelting Product |
Main Raw Materials |
Furnace Temp |
Power Consumption (kWh/t) |
| Calcium Carbide |
Quicklime + Coke |
1900–2200℃ |
2900–3300 |
| Ferrosilicon (FeSi75) |
Quartz + Coke + Scrap Iron |
1700–1900℃ |
4800–5600 |
| Silicomanganese |
Manganese Ore + Quartz + Coke + Lime |
1350–1600℃ |
3600–4200 |
| High Carbon Ferrochromium |
Chromite Ore + Coke + Lime |
1650–1800℃ |
3800–4500 |
三,Detailed introduction of four major smelting products
1. Calcium Carbide (CaC₂)
Production Formula
CaO + 3C = CaC₂ + CO ↑ (2000℃ electrothermal reaction)
Grade & Application
- Standard grade: 295L/kg, 300L/kg, 315L/kg gas yield
- Main uses:
- Acetylene gas generation for metal cutting/welding, PVC plastic raw material
- Steel desulfurizer & deoxidizer in metallurgy
- Raw material for pesticide, calcium cyanamide chemical synthesis
2. Ferrosilicon (FeSi45 / FeSi75 mainstream grades)
Raw Materials: High-purity quartz sand, metallurgical coke, steel scrap, lime
Core Composition (FeSi75): Si 72–80%, Fe balance, low Al/C/P impurities
Industry Applications
- Primary deoxidizer in carbon steel, stainless steel smelting; remove oxygen from molten steel to improve mechanical performance
- Alloy additive: enhance tensile strength, wear resistance of steel
- Casting industry inoculant: refine graphite grain, reduce casting defects
- Production of silicon manganese, silicon calcium composite alloys
3. Silicomanganese Alloy (FeMn68Si18 mainstream)
Raw Materials: Manganese ore, silica, coke, flux lime
Typical Composition: Mn 65–70%, Si 16–22%, C ≤2.0%
Advantages & Usage
Dual deoxidizer & alloying agent, lower cost than pure ferromanganese + ferrosilicon combined use:
- Main additive for low-alloy steel, ship plate, construction steel, pipeline steel
- Reduce oxygen & sulfur content simultaneously, improve steel toughness & weldability
- Raw material for low-carbon ferromanganese refining
4. Ferrochromium (High Carbon / Medium Carbon / Low Carbon Ferrochrome)
Raw Materials: Chromite ore, coke, lime, silica
Main Grades & Uses
- High-carbon ferrochrome (C 4–8%): Raw material for stainless steel, wear-resistant cast iron
- Medium/low-carbon ferrochrome: Produce corrosion-resistant stainless steel, alloy tool steel
- Core function: Add chromium element to form passive anti-rust film, improve hardness & oxidation resistance of steel
四,Complete Production Process Flow
Raw Material Crushing & Drying → Automatic Batching Mixing → Top Sealed Charging into SAF → Submerged Arc High-Temperature Reduction → Molten Alloy/Carbide Tapping → Ladle Deslagging → Casting & Cooling → Crushing & Screening → Finished Product Storage & Shipment
五,Application Fields of the Furnace
- Ferroalloy Metallurgy Plant: Mass production of ferrosilicon, silicomanganese, ferrochrome for steel mills
- Calcium Carbide Chemical Plant: Acetylene chemical raw material production
- Integrated Metallurgical-Chemical Enterprise: Multi-product flexible switching to balance market price fluctuation of alloys & calcium carbide