Carbon electrodes can be classified into three types according to their uses and manufacturing processes: carbon electrodes, graphite electrodes and self-baking electrodes.
Carbon electrodes are composed of low-ash anthracite, metallurgical coke, asphalt coke and petroleum coke as raw materials in a certain proportion and particle size. When mixing, add the binder asphalt and tar, stir evenly at an appropriate temperature, then press into shape, and finally slowly calcine in a roasting furnace to obtain the product. It can be classified into four types: natural graphite electrodes, artificial graphite electrodes, carbon electrodes and special carbon electrodes.
Graphite electrodes are made from petroleum coke and asphalt coke as raw materials to form carbon electrodes, which are then placed in a graphitization resistance furnace at a temperature of 2273 to 2773K for graphitization to produce graphite electrodes. Graphite electrodes can be further classified into the following types.
① RP graphite electrodes allow the use of graphite electrodes with a current density lower than 17A/cm ², and are mainly used in ordinary power electric furnaces for steelmaking, silicon smelting, yellow phosphorus smelting, etc.
② Anti-oxidation coating: The surface of the graphite electrode is coated with a protective layer that is both conductive and resistant to high-temperature oxidation (graphite electrode antioxidant), reducing the electrode consumption during steelmaking (19% to 50%), extending the electrode's service life (22% to 60%), and lowering the electrode's power consumption.
③HP graphite electrodes allow the use of graphite electrodes with a current density of 18 to 25A/cm ², and are mainly used in high-power electric arc furnaces for steelmaking.
④ UHP graphite electrodes allow the use of graphite electrodes with a current density greater than 25A/cm ². It is mainly used in ultra-high power steelmaking electric arc furnaces.
Self-baking electrodes are made from anthracite, coke, asphalt and tar as raw materials. They are made into electrode paste at a certain temperature and then filled into the electrode shell installed on the electric furnace. During the production process of the electric furnace, they are sintered and coking by themselves relying on the Joule heat generated by the current passing through and the heat conduction inside the furnace. This kind of electrode can be used continuously. It can be lengthened and shaped as it is used, and can also be calcined into large-diameter ones. Self-baking electrodes not only have a simple process but also a low cost, and thus are widely used in the production of ferroalloys.
The main technical performance of the electrode
The electrode material should have the following physical and chemical properties:
It should have good electrical conductivity and low resistivity to reduce the loss of electrical energy, decrease the voltage drop of the short network, increase the effective voltage, and thereby enhance the power of the molten pool.
② The melting point should be high;
③ The coefficient of thermal expansion should be small. When the temperature changes sharply, it should not deform easily and should not produce fine cracks due to the internal stress caused by temperature changes, which would increase the resistance.
④ It should have sufficient mechanical strength at high temperatures.
⑤ The impurities should be low and not contaminate the varieties being smelted.
The selection of electrodes in the ferroalloy industry
Self-baked electrodes are widely used in ferroalloy smelting, such as the production of ferrosilicon, ferrosilicon alloy, manganese-silicon alloy, high-carbon ferromanganese, high-carbon ferrochromium, medium and low-carbon ferromanganese, medium and low-carbon ferrochromium, silicon-calcium alloy, tungsten-iron, etc. Self-baking electricity is highly likely to cause carbon increase in the production of alloys. Carbon is introduced into iron sheets. When producing iron alloys and pure metals with very low carbon content, carbon electrodes or graphite electrodes should be used for carbon-chromium-iron, industrial silicon and metallic manganese.