PROCESSING GRANULATED METALLIC UNITS WITHIN ELECTRIC ARC FURNACES, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Processing granulated metallic units within electric arc furnaces (EAFs) and associated systems, devices, and methods are disclosed herein. A representative method can include receiving granulated metallic units in an EAF, wherein the granulated metallic units comprise no more than 0.05 wt. % of sulfur and at least 50% of particles in the granulated iron material have a particle size of at least 6 millimeters. The method can include applying electrical energy to the granulated iron via electrodes and melting the granulated iron material to form a molten steel product. The method can also include tapping the EAF to remove the molten steel product from the EAF.
1 . A method for producing steel from granulated metallic units using an electric arc furnace (EAF), the method comprising:
receiving granulated metallic units (GMUs) in an EAF, wherein the GMUs comprise no more than 0.05 wt. % of sulfur and at least 50% of the GMUs have a particle size of at least 6 millimeters;
applying electrical energy to the GMUs via electrodes;
melting the GMUs to form a molten steel product; and
tapping the EAF to remove the molten steel product.
1 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the GMUs comprises no more than 0.01 wt. % of sulfur.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the GMUs comprise between 0.0001 wt. % and 0.01 wt. % of sulfur and between 0.8 wt. % and 4.0 wt. % of carbon.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the GMUs comprise between 0.0001 wt. % and 0.01 wt. % of sulfur and no more than 2.0 wt. % of carbon.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the GMUs comprise granulated pig iron (GPI) particles and at least 4 wt. % of carbon.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the GMUs comprise 1 wt. % to 4 wt. % of carbon.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the GMUs comprise granulated steel particles and no more than 1 wt. % of carbon.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the GMUs comprises 94 wt. % to 96 wt. % of iron.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the GMUs comprise 0.01 wt. % to 0.1 wt. % of phosphorus, 0.1 wt. % to 2 wt. % of silicon, and 0.1 wt. % to 1.0 wt. % of manganese.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least 50% of particles of the GMUs have a particle size between 6 millimeters and 10 millimeters.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the molten steel product has a sulfur concentration below or equal to 0.05 wt. %.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising producing slag as a by-product, wherein the produced slag is less than 10 wt. % of the produced molten steel product.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an average particle size of the GMUs is between 6 to 25 mm.
13 . An electric arc furnace (EAF) system for producing steel from granulated metal units (GMUs), the EAF system comprising:
a furnace shell positioned to receive a plurality of the GMUs, wherein individual GMUs comprise:
a mass fraction of phosphorous of at least 0.025 wt. %;
a mass fraction of silicon between 0.325 wt. % and 1.5 wt. %;
a mass fraction of manganese of at least 0.2 wt. %;
a mass fraction of carbon of at least 0.8 wt. %;
a mass fraction of sulfur between 0.0001 wt. % and 0.08 wt. %; and
a mass fraction of iron of at least 94.0 wt. %;
electrodes configured to conduct electrical energy into the furnace shell to melt the GMUs to form a molten steel product; and
a tapping system configured to remove the molten steel product from the furnace shell.
14 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the GMUs comprises no more than 0.01 wt. % of sulfur.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the GMUs comprise between 0.0001 wt. % and 0.01 wt. % of sulfur and between 0.8 wt. % and 4.0 wt. % of carbon.
16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the GMUs comprise between 0.0001 wt. % and 0.01 wt. % of sulfur and no more than 2.0 wt. % of carbon.
17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein at least 50% of particles of the GMUs have a particle size between 6 millimeters and 10 millimeters.
18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein an average particle size of the GMUs is between 6 to 25 mm.
19 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising a charging system positioned to receive the GMUs from a GMU source and charge the GMUs to the furnace shell.