Working Principle and Application of Oxygen-Enriched Side-Blowing Furnace

Working principle of Isa furnace
The working principle of Isa furnace is based on the mixed blowing of oxygen and argon. Oxygen is mainly used to reduce the carbon content in molten steel (decarburization), while argon is used to improve the atmosphere in the furnace and enhance the stirring effect. The specific process is as follows:

Blowing: Mix argon and oxygen and blow them into the furnace through the blowing pipe on the top of the furnace. Argon helps to homogenize the atmosphere in the furnace. Oxygen is used to react with carbon in the molten steel to form carbon dioxide (CO₂) and discharge it out of the furnace, thereby reducing the carbon content in the molten steel.

Controlling atmosphere: By adjusting the ratio of argon and oxygen, the carbon content in the molten steel and the content of other alloying elements can be precisely controlled. This precise control enables the AOD furnace to produce various alloy steels, especially stainless steel containing a high proportion of alloying elements.

Decarburization and refining: The main task of the AOD furnace is to refine molten steel by decarburization, removing impurities and adding alloying elements. During the decarburization process, oxygen oxidizes the carbon in the molten steel into CO₂ gas and discharges it.

Alloying: By adding alloying elements (such as nickel, chromium, molybdenum, titanium, etc.) to the furnace, the AOD furnace can produce different types of stainless steel and alloy steel.

Temperature control: In the AOD furnace, temperature control is very critical. Usually, the temperature of the molten steel is kept within the appropriate range by controlling the flow rate of gas, the intensity of the reaction in the furnace, and the amount of alloy additives.

Application areas of Isa furnace
AOD furnace is mainly used in the following fields:

Stainless steel smelting
AOD furnace has been widely used in stainless steel production, especially in the production of austenitic stainless steel (such as 304, 316 stainless steel). AOD furnace can effectively remove carbon from molten steel and accurately add alloying elements such as nickel and chromium as needed to produce stainless steel with good corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance.

High alloy steel production
AOD furnace is widely used in the production of high alloy steel, especially those steels that require special composition and low carbon content. For example, the application of AOD furnace can produce high temperature and corrosion resistant steel, which is suitable for special steel requirements in aerospace, chemical equipment and high temperature environment.

Refining molten steel
AOD furnace is not only used for decarburization, but also for refining molten steel to remove impurities such as sulfur and phosphorus in molten steel. Through the refining process, the quality of molten steel can be improved to a higher standard and adapt to industrial applications with high material requirements.

Smelting of aluminum alloys and titanium alloys
In addition to steel smelting, AOD furnaces are also used in non-ferrous alloy smelting, especially in the production of high-performance aluminum alloys and titanium alloys. By controlling the atmosphere and precise alloying process, aluminum alloys and titanium alloys that meet special requirements can be obtained.

Tool steel and special steel production
For tool steel and special steel with extremely high requirements, AOD furnaces can accurately control the carbon content and alloy element ratio to produce steel with special properties to meet industrial applications with high strength, wear resistance and other performance requirements, such as mold steel, gear steel, etc.

Remove impurities
During the steel smelting process, the AOD furnace can effectively remove impurities such as sulfur, phosphorus, and nitrogen in the molten steel, further improving the quality of the steel. Especially when producing high-quality steel with low impurity requirements, the refining capacity of the AOD furnace is very important.