Core Advantages of AOD Furnace
Low-cost stainless steel production: Achieves "decarbonization while preserving chromium" under atmospheric pressure, significantly reducing consumption of expensive ferrochromium alloys.
High raw material flexibility: Can utilize inexpensive materials such as high-carbon ferrochromium.
Strong refining capability: Enables deep decarbonization (C ≤ 0.015%), desulfurization (S ≤ 0.005%), and uniform composition and temperature.
High Production Efficiency: Intensive stirring shortens smelting time.
Basic parameters of the equipment
| Parameter | Typical range/description | Function and influence |
| Nominal capacity | 30T, 60T, 90t, 120T, 160T 180T,200T | Determine the output of a single furnace and the scale of the supporting system. |
| height-diameter ratio (H/D) | 1.3 : 1 TO 2.0 : 1 | It affects the surface area and depth of the molten pool, and is closely related to the stirring effect and reaction rate. |
| Number of vents: | 2 ~ 8 (commonly2-5) | They are usually arranged symmetrically at the lower part of the side wall, determining the dispersion of gas injection and the uniformity of stirring. |
| Gas supply system capacity | O₂, Ar, N₂ maximum flow rate and pressure | The foundation of process control. Large furnace types require a higher gas supply flow rate (e.g., >10000 Nm³/h). |
| Tilting mechanism | over ±120° | Used for charging, sampling, tapping, and slagging. |
Temperature Parameters:
The furnace temperature is typically maintained between 1500°C and 1600°C. Molten steel temperature generally ranges from 1500°C to 1600°C. During the decarburization stage, temperatures may exceed 1500°C.
Gas Parameters:
The blowing gas consists of a mixture of oxygen and argon or nitrogen. The oxygen-to-argon ratio is adjustable to reduce the partial pressure of carbon monoxide. Gas consumption is approximately 80 to 130 Nm³/t, with a blowing intensity of 0.8 to 1.8 Nm³/(t·min).
Time Parameters:
The total smelting time is typically 45 to 60 minutes, with decarburization accounting for 60 to 90 minutes. The decarburization phase lasts approximately 40 to 45 minutes.
Composition parameters:
Initial molten steel carbon content ranges from 1.5% to 2.5%, reduced to 0.2% to 0.5% after decarburization; gas composition requirements include nitrogen below 100 ppm, hydrogen below 20 ppm, and oxygen below 10 ppm.3
Pressure Parameters:
Vacuum level during vacuum refining stage is 3 to 100 torr.3
Consumption Parameters:
Auxiliary material consumption includes lime at 40 to 60 kg/t and ferrosilicon at 10 to 18 kg/t.
Our AOD furnaces can be equipped with an online flue gas analysis system (for real-time analysis of %CO, %CO₂, %O₂) and a dynamic control model. Based on the real-time flue gas composition and temperature, they can back-calculate the carbon content and temperature of the molten pool, automatically optimize the gas mixture ratio and the amount of coolant added, and achieve "one-click" automated refining. We can provide various types of AOD furnaces according to customer needs. Up to now, the largest AOD furnace we have provided to customers is 200 tons, and we are also one of the few factories in China that can provide such large-tonnage AOD furnaces.
