What are graphite electrodes used for?

 80% of the total sales of graphite electrodes are used as conductive materials in electric arc furnace steelmaking. Next, the Dan carbon graphite electrodes will introduce what the graphite electrodes are used for? Uses and properties of graphite electrodes.

1. What is the graphite electrode used for?

Graphite electrode is a conductive electrode used in the electric furnace in the process of steelmaking in a medium-sized electric arc furnace. After passing electricity between the electrode and the charge or between the electrode and the electrode, an arc is generated to heat and smelt the scrap steel, similar to the lightning effect. The main raw materials for the production of graphite electrodes are petroleum coke and needle coke. Coal tar pitch is made as a binder through calcination, kneading, pressing, roasting, impregnation, graphitization and machining. The graphite electrode is divided into a body and a joint, and the joint production process requires three immersion and four bakes. Because the graphite electrode is used to connect each end to the end, and the joint just plays the role of connection, the quality of the joint is higher. Graphite electrodes have low resistivity and can withstand high temperatures in electric arc furnaces, because the melting point of graphite is around 3900 °C, the melting point of scrap steel is 1700 °C, and the temperature in the electric arc furnace is above 3000 °C, so the use of graphite electrodes just meets the requirements. Graphite electrodes are mainly used for steelmaking, but also for smelting yellow phosphorus, industrial silicon, abrasives, etc.

Graphite electrodes are divided into ordinary power, high power and ultra-high power graphite electrodes according to the power used. It is used in accordance with the principle of electric arc furnaces with the same power matching the same power.

Second, the use and performance of graphite electrodes

1. Graphite electrodes are mainly used in electric arc furnace steelmaking

Graphite electrodes for electric furnace steelmaking account for 80% of the total graphite electrodes. It smelts the charge by high-temperature heating generated by the arc between the electrode tip and the charge.

2. For submerged thermal electric furnace

Ore heating furnaces are mainly used to produce ferroalloys, matte, calcium carbide, industrial silicon and yellow phosphorus. The end of the electrode is buried in the charge, and an arc is formed in the charge after electrification, and the heat energy generated from the resistance of the charge is used to heat the charge. Graphite electrodes are required for submerged arc furnaces requiring high current density, which consumes about 100kg of graphite electrodes per 1t of silicon produced, and about 40kg of graphite electrodes per 1t of yellow phosphorus produced.

3. For resistance furnace

Resistance furnaces are graphitization furnaces for the production of graphite products, furnaces for melting glass, and electric furnaces for the production of silicon carbide. The material in the furnace is both a heating resistor and a heating object. Graphite electrodes are usually inserted into the furnace head wall at the end of a resistance furnace for discontinuous consumption.

4. For processing special-shaped graphite products

Graphite electrode blanks can also be used to process various shaped graphite products such as crucibles, molds, utensils, hot die casting molds and vacuum furnace heating elements.

It is worth noting that graphite products after graphitization are used in more and more fields, because graphite products have good strength, conductivity, electrical properties, lubricity, high temperature properties, chemical resistance, heat resistance, high temperature resistance. Thermal exfoliation, electrochemical performance and other characteristics have great potential for development in the fields of physics, materials science, electronic information, computer, aerospace and other fields.