Product: Regular Power Graphite Electrode
Category: Graphite Electrode
Application: Steelmaking, etc.
Brief Introduction
According to the different raw materials and physical and chemical indicators of the finished products, graphite electrodes can be divided into three categories: regular power graphite electrodes (RP), high power graphite electrodes (HP), and ultra-high power graphite electrodes (UHP).
Regular Power (RP) Graphite Electrodes are primarily designed for use in electric arc furnaces (EAF) and ladle furnaces with low to medium power input. They are manufactured from high-quality petroleum coke and coal tar pitch through a series of processes including calcination, forming, baking, impregnation, and graphitization.
Advantages of AGRM RP graphite electrode
Cost-effective
Compared with high power (HP) and ultra-high power (UHP) graphite electrodes, RP graphite electrodes are cheaper and are the first choice for small and medium-sized steel mills and foundries.
Under low load or intermittent operating conditions, they can provide sufficient performance without a high-end configuration.
Good electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity
It can quickly conduct current and heat to ensure stable operation of the arc furnace, suitable for ordinary arc furnace steelmaking.
Good thermal conductivity helps to reduce heat loss.
Wide range of applications
Suitable for smelting ordinary carbon steel, alloy steel, brass, cast iron, etc.
Widely used in arc furnaces or induction furnaces in steel, non-ferrous metals, glass, quartz, and other industries.
Mature production process and stable supply
Raw materials are easily available (high-quality needle coke or petroleum coke), processing procedures are standard, and delivery cycles are controllable.
Spare parts and supporting resources are abundant and easy to get.
Good mechanical strength and thermal stability
It is not easy to deform or crack in a high temperature environment, and it is suitable for high temperature and short cycle working conditions.
It has strong thermal shock resistance and can withstand the temperature difference caused by the frequent start-up and shutdown of arc furnaces.
Better environmental performance
Graphite is a non-metallic material, does not produce toxic smoke and dust, and has less ash after combustion.
With the promotion of the concept of green metallurgy, the overall application of graphite electrodes is in line with the trend of environmental protection.
Specification
Current load
| Nominal Diameter/mm | Current Carrying Capacity/A | Current Density / (A/cm2) |
| 150 | 3000-4500 | 16-25 |
| 200 | 5000-6900 | 15-21 |
| 250 | 7000-10000 | 14-20 |
| 300 | 15000-22000 | 20-30 |
| 350 | 20000-30000 | 20-30 |
| 400 | 25000-40000 | 19-30 |
| 450 | 32000-45000 | 19-27 |
| 500 | 38000-55000 | 18-27 |
| 550 | 45000-65000 | 18-27 |
| 600 | 50000-75000 | 18-26 |
| 650 | 60000-85000 | 18-25 |
| 700 | 70000-120000 | 18-30 |
Physical and chemical index
| Item | 150-250 | 250-300 | 350-450 | 500-800 | |
| Premium | Premium | Premium | Premium | ||
| Electrical Resistivity/μΩm ≤ | Electrode | 9.0 | 10.5 | 9.0 | 10.5 |
| Nipple | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | |
| Flexural Strength / MPa≥ | Electrode | 10.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 6.5 |
| Nipple | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | |
| Elastic Modulus /Gpa ≤ | Electrode | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.3 |
| Nipple | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | |
| Bulk Density / (g/cm3) | Electrode | 1.53 | 1.53 | 1.53 | 1.52 |
| Nipple | 1.70 | 1.70 | 1.70 | 1.70 | |
| CTE(100℃-600℃) / (10-6/℃) | Electrode | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| Nipple | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | |
| Ash Content / (%) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | |
The use of RP graphite electrode
Regular power graphite electrode (RP) is mainly used in medium and low power electric arc furnaces and related industrial equipment, suitable for scenarios with low conductivity requirements and relatively small heat load. Specific applications are as follows:
Electric arc furnace steelmaking (EAF)
Small and medium-sized electric arc furnaces for smelting ordinary carbon steel and some low-alloy steels.
Low current density (usually 17-20 A/cm2), meeting daily steelmaking needs, without the need to use more expensive HP/UHP electrodes.
Ferroalloy smelting
Including the smelting process of alloys such as ferrosilicon, ferromanganese, and ferronickel.
Regular power electrodes can withstand the high temperatures and certain electrical loads generated in ferroalloy production.
Non-ferrous metal smelting
Medium and low power electric arc furnaces are used in the remelting or purification of metals such as copper, aluminum, lead, and zinc.
RP graphite electrodes can be used as conductors to conduct current to heat smelting materials.
Foundry industry
RP electrodes are sometimes used in the melting process in medium frequency electric furnaces or industrial frequency induction furnaces.
Suitable for the melting process of materials such as cast iron and ductile iron.
Glass, ceramic, and quartz material manufacturing
Used as electrodes or conductive heating elements in certain high-temperature processing processes, such as glass, annealing furnaces, or quartz tube heating equipment.
Recycling industry
Recycled steel smelting: used for low-power arc furnace operation when scrap steel is recycled.
Moderate energy consumption, meeting the balance between resource recovery and cost control.
Comparison between different graphite electrodes
| Item | RP Graphite Electrode | HP Graphite Electrode | UHP Graphite Electrode |
| Current destiny | ≤17A/cm2 | 18-25 A/cm2 | ≥25 A/cm2 |
| Raw materials | General petroleum coke | High-quality petroleum coke | High-quality needle coke |
| Manufacturing process | One-time roasting + graphitization | One-time roasting + impregnation + graphitization | Multiple impregnation roasting + high-temperature graphitization |
| Current resistance | Low | Medium | High |
| Price | Low | Medium | High |
| Applicable furnace types | Small and medium-sized electric arc furnaces， casting furnaces | Medium and large electric arc furnaces | Ultra-high power electric arc furnaces (mainstream steelmaking) |
| Applicable materials | Carbon steel, alloy steel, cast iron | High-quality steel, alloy steel | High-strength alloy steel, scrap steel recycling, etc. |
| Market positioning | Cost-oriented, suitable for developing markets | Balanced performance, suitable for medium-sized steel mills | High-efficiency steelmaking, suitable for large-scale steelmaking |
RP graphite electrode production process
- Raw material preparation: The main raw materials of RP graphite electrodes include petroleum coke and a small amount of asphalt coke. The sulfur content of petroleum coke and asphalt coke can’t exceed 0.5%.
- Calcination: The raw materials are calcined to remove volatiles and impurities and improve the purity and density of the raw materials.
- Batching and knealing: The calcined raw materials are mixed in a certain proportion, and the binder, coal tar, is added for knealing to form a uniform mixture.
- Forming: The mixture is placed in a mold and formed by a press to form a required electrode shape.
- Baking: The formed electrode is baked at a high temperature to further remove the residual volatiles and enhance the strength and density of the electrode.
- Graphitization: The baked electrode is subjected to high-temperature graphitization treatment to achieve the required degree of graphitization and improve conductivity and high-temperature resistance.
- Machining: The graphitized electrode is machined, such as cutting and grinding, to meet different usage requirements.