The Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) is a major steelmaking process accounting for over 26% of total steel production, which is dominated by the basic oxygen steelmaking (BOS) process.

This lecture examines the basic operating principles of EAF steelmaking. How the process is a combination of electrical and chemical energy inputs, what the typical steelmaking process cycle is and the importance of understanding the total energy balance for optimising EAF performance. It looks at methods for reducing total energy requirements and the continuing drive to develop low-carbon steelmaking practices which will drive down CO2 emissions further.

Firstly, a review is made of world steelmaking production outputs. The current environmental and sustainability concerns in steel production, which provide the EAF process with immediate advantages, that will enable its continuing growth and development into the future.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course the participants will be able to:
-Understand where the EAF is in world steelmaking and its future growth.
-Understand the basics of the electric arc furnace process and factors affecting performance.
-Consider the drivers for continuing the decarbonisation of the EAF process.