Direct Reduced Iron an Advantageous Charge Material for Induction Furnaces

Author

Materials Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology

Abstract

Industrial and experimental induction furnaces are used for melting various types of iron ingots, returned scraps and DRI sponge pellets to produce high purity cast - iron and steel heats. The lowest consumption of electrical energy determined for continuous feeding operation is 0.3 KWH/Kg for the production of cast - iron in a 1.5 - ton industrial furnace and 0.45 KWH/Kg for the production of steel in a 25- Kg experimental furnace. The optimum feeding rate for lowest energy consumption is 12.5 grams per second for continuous feeding of DRI in a 25 - Kg induction furnace. Similar measurements show that the optimum size of the DRI pellets is around 7 milimeters.