LF ladle refining furnace Ladle capacity100t
Equipment use:
LF ladle refining furnace can be used for refining molten steel in
primary furnaces (electric arc furnace, open hearth furnace,
converter, etc.), and is an important metallurgical equipment for
continuous casting and continuous rolling.
1. Equipment features:
LF ladle refining furnace has many functions, such as heating and
heating, fine-tuning of alloy composition, argon stirring, rapid
temperature measurement and sampling, desulfurization, removal of
impurities, feed wire adjustment, etc., so that the entire
steelmaking process can be reasonably matched and production
continuity can be improved.
Equipment composition:
1. ladle and ladle car;
2. Furnace cover and furnace cover lifting device;
3. Electrode lifting device: including trolley mobile and column
lifting, its driving mode has two kinds of motor drive and
hydraulic drive; ④ High current line: energy-saving short net,
copper steel composite conductive cross arm, water-cooled cable;
4. Electrical control system: The electrical control system adopts
a new type of frequency conversion speed regulation type or
proportional valve hydraulic regulation type, and each part of the
action and electrode regulator is controlled by PLC/DCS system; ⑥
Hydraulic system and control valve system; ⑦ Argon gas system;
5.Cooling water and its monitoring alarm system.
Main Technical Specifications:
Ladle Refining Furnace (LRF), also known as "ladle furnace", is a
key secondary refining equipment in the metallurgical industry. It
is mainly used for post-treatment of molten steel (or molten alloy)
after primary smelting (e.g., electric arc furnace, converter),
realizing functions such as temperature adjustment, composition
homogenization, impurity removal (S, P, H, O), and alloying. The
10T-160T specification covers small-batch special steel production
(10T-50T) to large-scale industrial steelmaking (80T-160T), widely
applicable to the manufacturing of high-quality carbon steel, alloy
steel, stainless steel, and non-ferrous metal alloys (e.g.,
nickel-based superalloys). Below is a detailed introduction to its
core structure, working principle, technical parameters,
application scenarios, and operational advantages.
The structure of LRF is designed around the "ladle as the reaction
vessel", integrating heating, stirring, vacuum, and gas supply
systems. The main components are highly standardized but adjusted
for different tonnages (e.g., larger electrodes and water-cooled
systems for 120T-160T models).
The core of LRF’s operation is "arc heating + molten steel
refining", which is divided into 5 key stages. Taking 100T LRF (for
alloy steel production) as an example:
- Ladle Transfer: After primary smelting (e.g., 100T electric arc furnace), the
molten steel (temperature ~1550°C) is transferred to the LRF ladle
via a crane.
- Arc Ignition & Temperature Rise: Lower the 3 graphite electrodes to 20-50mm above the molten steel
surface, apply 10-35kV voltage to ignite the arc. The arc generates
2000-3000°C high temperature, heating the molten steel to the
target temperature (1600-1700°C) at a rate of 5-15°C/min.
- Alloying & Composition Adjustment: Add alloying agents (e.g., Mn, Cr, Ni, Mo) through the furnace
top feeding system. Under the action of argon stirring, the alloy
elements are quickly dissolved and homogenized (composition
uniformity error ≤0.05%).
- Impurity Removal:
- Desulfurization: Add lime (CaO) or fluorite (CaF₂) to form low-melting-point slag
(CaS), which floats to the molten steel surface and is removed.
- Degassing: If vacuum is applied, the vacuum environment reduces the
solubility of H/O in molten steel (H content can be reduced from
5ppm to ≤2ppm).
- Final Adjustment & Discharge: After holding for 20-60 minutes (depending on tonnage), test the
molten steel composition (via spectral analysis) and temperature.
When qualified, tilt the ladle to transfer the molten steel to
continuous casting or ingot casting equipment.
Parameters vary significantly by tonnage, with larger models
focusing on high efficiency, large capacity, and stable control.
The following table lists typical specifications for mainstream
tonnage segments:
The 10T-160T LRF covers almost all high-quality metallurgical
needs, from small-batch special materials to large-scale industrial
steel.
Compared with primary smelting equipment (e.g., converter) and
other refining equipment (e.g., RH vacuum degasser), 10T-160T LRF
has unique advantages:
- Strong Adaptability: Covers 10T-160T capacity, suitable for both small-batch
customization and large-scale mass production; compatible with
molten steel from electric arc furnaces, converters, and induction
furnaces.
- High Refining Quality: Realizes precise control of composition (uniformity error ≤0.05%)
and temperature (±2-5°C), reducing impurity content (S ≤0.005%, H
≤2ppm) to meet high-end material standards.
- Energy Saving & Environmental Protection: Compared with re-smelting in electric arc furnaces, LRF saves
30-50% energy; the closed dust removal system ensures dust emission
≤10mg/m³, complying with national environmental protection
requirements.
- Flexible Process: Supports multiple processes such as atmospheric refining, vacuum
degassing, and bottom-blowing stirring; can be adjusted according
to product requirements (e.g., adding vacuum for ultra-low hydrogen
steel, strengthening stirring for high-alloy steel).
To ensure the stable operation of 10T-160T LRF (especially large
models), regular maintenance is critical:
- Refractory Lining: Check the thickness of the ladle working layer every 5-10
batches; replace magnesia-carbon bricks when the thickness is
reduced by 50% (to prevent ladle penetration).
- Electrodes: Monitor electrode wear; replace electrodes when the length is
less than 1/3 of the original (to avoid unstable arc).
- Water Cooling System: Clean the cooling water pipeline every 3 months; check the water
pressure and flow rate (abnormalities may cause electrode holder
burnout).
- Bottom-blowing Porous Plugs: Check for blockage every 2-3 batches; use high-pressure argon to
back-blow if necessary (to ensure uniform stirring).
