Direct current electric arc furnace

A method for extracting metal from metal-containing raw material in a batch process by using a direct current electric arc furnace having at least two top electrodes and at least one bottom electrode, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

• adding the metal-containing raw material to the furnace, thereby obtaining a loaded bath,
• moving the top electrodes on to the raw material,
• heating the loaded bath in a heating step by applying direct current through the top electrodes to provide an arc to melt the raw material, thereby obtaining molten metal,
• wherein each top electrode has an average voltage during the heating step from 20 V to 110 V, and wherein the at least two top electrodes have, during the heating step, an average speed from 5 m/min to 20 m/min, and
• forming solid metal from the molten metal,
• wherein the at least two top electrodes comprise a first top electrode and a second top electrode, and the first top electrode has a first speed, and the second top electrode has a second speed, and the method further comprises:
• controlling the heating step by moving the first top electrode with the first speed differing from the second speed of the second top electrode.