According to available data, global crude steel production reached
1.885 billion tons in 2024. Of this output,
electric arc furnace (EAF) steel accounted for 29.1%—an increase of
0.5 percentage points compared to 2023—while basic oxygen furnace (BOF) steel decreased by
0.7 percentage points to 70.4%.
This indicates that the steel industry continues to transition toward more efficient and low-carbon production methods.
As global attention on carbon emissions grows, governments are likely to introduce more policies supporting the development of EAF steel.
Electric Furnace Steel and Key Consumable Materials
As the name suggests, electric furnace steel is produced using electricity as the energy source. The most common types of electric furnaces include
arc furnaces and submerged arc furnaces. Arc furnaces primarily produce molten steel, while submerged arc furnaces generate pig iron.
A key consumable material in electric arc furnaces is electrodes; for submerged arc furnaces, the critical consumable is
electrode paste. In these furnaces, electrodes conduct electricity, creating an electric arc between positive and negative poles, which generates intense heat to melt scrap steel at high temperatures.
Electrodes typically include graphite electrodes, carbon electrodes (non-graphitized), and self-baking electrodes
(the latter being Rongxing electrode paste produced by our factory).
Unlike graphite electrodes, electrode paste must be heated, melted, sintered, graphitized, and shaped within the furnace.
Therefore, its use involves secondary processing inside the furnace.
However, unlike carbon or graphite electrodes, which can be corrected through processes such as baking, graphitization, or impregnation when manufacturing flaws occur, electrode paste relies solely on the furnace's heat for proper baking.
Since the rate of consumption must match the baking rate precisely, and as submerged arc furnaces evolve toward larger, closed systems with reduced internal heat transfer, the amount of heat received by the electrode paste has significantly decreased. This requires electrode paste manufacturers to improve the sintering performance of their products.
Technical Requirements of Electrode Paste
Thus, electrode paste may appear to have a low entry barrier, but in reality, it demands advanced technical expertise. During customer communication, we frequently encounter issues such as
electrode paste breakage, chipping, excessive consumption, or clumping.
What should users do when these problems arise? Customers using
Rongxing electrode paste generally don't face such concerns, thanks to our fully automated production line, which ensures raw material feeding accuracy within
0.2%, guaranteeing consistent product quality.
But what if, despite meeting specified customer requirements, issues like breakage, chipping, high consumption, or clumping still occur?
Rongxing’s engineers have developed mature solutions widely accepted by customers. Further details will be provided later.
Phone:+86 19937179450
Whatsapp:+86 19937179450
Email:[email protected]
Add:Zhengdong New District,Zhengzhou City,China.