Method for charging small particles of iron or steel directly into molten metal in an arc furnace

Abstract

A continuous constant or continuous variable intermittent method of charging, over periods sufficiently long not to reduce the process efficiency materially, small particulates of cast iron, carbon steel or alloy steel or stainless steel directly into a bath of similar metal, or the same metal as that being charged, in a melting furnace. The furnace has a feeder chute entering the furnace well below the normal full metal level. A feeding chamber is provided to introduce large masses of small particles of iron or steel into the feeder chute. An hydraulic cylinder and piston motor is positioned at the outer end of the feeder chute, beyond the feeding chamber, to push the small particles or iron or steel into the melting furnace. Oxides such as mill scale can be charged into the bath, which bath has been charged, prior to and during this charging process, with suitable charges of alloys or reducing materials, which materials are charged from the top of the furnace in any conventional practice. The use of this invention is intended for charging a conventional electric arc furnace.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.