Why is slag blocking operation performed in converter tapping

Converter steelmaking is one of the most important operations in the steel-making facility. The Converter is used to produce steel by melting scrap, pig iron, and other feedstocks in a refining process. It is critical to the production of high-quality steel and is therefore an integral part of the steel-making process.

The Converter is a large-diameter, rotatable furnace which is used to heat and refine the raw material feedstock. During the process, slag and other impurities form and separate from the molten steel. These impurities, known as dross or slag, must be removed from the molten steel in order to avoid contamination of the refined steel product.

This process of dross removal is known as drossing and is typically carried out by injecting a lance into the Converter while it is in operation. A stream of either air or oxygen is injected with the lance, which reacts with the surface of the molten steel and removes the slag and other impurities.

The drossing process is important because it allows for the removal of impurities that may have crept into the molten steel over time. By removing the impurities, the molten steel can retain its quality, as well as its strength and toughness.

The drossing process also helps to reduce energy usage and production costs by making the steel-making process more efficient. By removing the impurities, it reduces the amount of energy that is needed to melt and refine the raw steel. This helps to reduce overall production costs and can result in a higher profit margin for the steel-making facility.

In addition to reducing energy usage and production costs, drossing also helps to improve safety in the steel-making facility. The drossing process removes any hazardous materials that may present a fire risk or potential injury to the personnel and equipment within the steel-making facility. Without proper drossing, the presence of hazardous materials may cause a serious fire or explosion.

Overall, the drossing process is important for the safe and efficient production of steel. It ensures the removal of hazardous materials and reduces energy usage and production costs. As a result, it is a critical part of the steel-making facility, and one that should not be overlooked.

Tap hole blocking is an essential process in electric arc furnace steelmaking.It is used in the tapping process of liquid steel from electric arc furnace.Plugging the tap-hole in electric furnace during steelmaking process, to prevent molten steel from continuous and excessive outpouring and spilling, thus can control steel making process, ensure the smelting rate and output of steelmaking, improve the quality of cast steel and increase the steel yield.

Tap hole blocking has two kinds of methods, manual blocking and automated blocking. Manual blocking is done by workers, who must stand and block the tap hole manually with refractory materials and a hammer. However, this method has the limitation of manual force exerted and difficulty in real-time control and monitoring,which is not suitable for large and medium-sized electric arc furnaces.

Nowadays, Electric furnace automated blocking has become more and more popular and is gradually replacing traditional manual plugging. Automated blocking usually uses the electric furnace blocking system, consists of blocking ring,with a lock cylinder, which is located at the outlet of the slag channel of the taphole. When the thrust of the lock cylinder is turned on, the blocking ring automatically moves downward and blocks the taphole tightly. The steel can be tapped under normal pressure as usual. At the same time, the blocking ring is equipped with temperature sensing function, which can detect the temperature of the molten steel and automatically adjust the distance between the taphole and the blocking ring, so as to maintain the safe, reliable and normal steel pouring operation.

Tapping and blocking of electric arc furnace is an important part of steel smelting process, and tap-hole blocking plays an important role in it. The use of automated blocking system can better control the tapping process and ensure the steel pouring quality. Therefore, in the steel smelting process, electric furnace tap-hole blocking is especially important and necessary.