Steelmaking based on inductive melting

Global production of steel has experienced rapid growth for a prolonged time. Over the last ten years alone, annual production rose from 851 Mt/a in 2001 to 1,417 Mt/a in 2010, much of this being attributable to growth in China. The percentage of electric steel produced with electric arc furnaces as the traditional melting unit around the world (without China, an exceptional case with 90 % oxygen steel) is around 45 %, and this percentage is growing. After the development of induction technology with inverter outputs of over 40 MW for crucible furnaces with capacities of more than 65 t, the induction furnace offers itself as an alternative electric melting unit for small mini-mills. Apart from saving the costs of electrodes and the low requirements on the electricity grid, the main benefits offered by induction furnaces are the high yield from the feed materials and low pollution of the environment and workplaces. The low metal losses becomes an economic factor, particularly when stainless steels are produced; although promising results have also been obtained in recent times for the inductive melting of carbon steels.