Abstract
A new style ladle refining method has been developed. This method is characterized by stirring and heating the molten metal in the ladle to refine it.
This stirring method is based on Fleming's left-hand rule, that is to say, the force is generated by direct electric current through the molten metal in direct magnetic field. Direct magnetic field and current are designed so that molten metal circulated up and down to be suitable to stirring in the ladle. The molten metal is heated by arc.
First, experiment was made using small scale equipment to refine 200kg steel. By stirring, chemical compositions after alloy addition and metal temperature were found completely uniformed.
Scale-up method was studied theoreticaly, and 2.7 ton equipment was designed based on theoretical scale-up method and standard dimensions obtained on experiment of 200 kg equipment.
By this ladle refining process, better quality steel was obtained compared with that of normal arc furnace steel making process.
