Redesign of Tap-Hole in Submerged Arc Furnace of HC-FeCr Production

Yilmaden Holding is one of the important players in chromium industry, company consists of 10 companies and operates in 7 different countries. High quality high carbon ferrochromium (HQ HC FeCr) is produced in 3 different plants with 12 furnaces. These plants are Eti Krom Inc in Turkey, Vargon Alloys AB in Sweden and Tikhvin Ferro Alloys in Russia. Tap-hole design and management is important for stable furnace operations and longevity of tap-hole in submerged arc furnaces. Tap-hole change and brick repair process should be as simple as possible to minimize safety risks and downtime. This paper is an improvement study on tap-hole design with the goal of increasing longevity of tap-hole and simplify tap-hole changing process. This paper informs regarding better tap-hole management, improvement on refractory material and lining design of tap-hole for Eti Krom’s 2 * 17 MVA submerged arc furnaces.