The current state of the problem of assembling electrode blanks columns for their graphitization in direct heating furnaces

Abstract

One of the main factors influencing the quality of electrode products is the electrical contact connections between the blanks in the core columns of direct heating furnaces (Castner furnaces), which produce high-quality graphite electrodes for metallurgy. It is known that electrical contact connections between electrode blanks significantly affect the quality of the obtained electrode products. Given that Castner furnaces are now the main type of furnaces in the electrode industry in the world, the increase in the efficiency of these furnaces can to some extent be attributed to solving the problem of both domestic and global levels.One of the ways to increase the efficiency of Castner furnaces is to develop high-quality electrical contacts together with the appropriate energy-efficient regulations for graphitization of electrode blanks, which is certainly an important and extremely important task of the electrode industry.The aim of the article is the analysis of constructive-technological methods (first of all electrical contact gaskets) of assembling columns of electrode blanks for their graphitization in direct heating furnaces and their influence on the qualitative characteristics of the obtained electrode products.As a result of the analysis of researches of a modern condition of a problem of assembly of columns of preparations of electrodes for their graphitization in furnaces of direct heating it is shown that:– the decisive structural and technological factor of the process of graphitization of electrode blanks in direct heating furnaces are contact gaskets, which are a component of the columns of electrode blanks and are located between the ends of adjacent blanks;– the process of graphitization of electrode blanks in direct heating furnaces depends on such parameters of electrical contact gaskets as gasket material, in particular its structure, density and electrical resistivity, as well as the shape and size of gaskets:– the main direction of improvement of electrical contact gaskets is the development of their composition (qualitative and quantitative), but almost no study of the possibility of creating fundamentally new design solutions, including gaskets and their elements of new shapes and sizes based on structural materials that have proven themselves in industrial production.In the future it is planned to develop a method of manufacturing electrical contact connections and their fixation between electrode blanks, which provide high uniformity of thermoelectric fields in core columns, as well as a method of forming core columns consisting of electrode blanks and electrical contact connections between them, outside Castner furnaces, which allows to significantly reduce the downtime of furnaces between campaigns. It is also planned to develop intensified energy-efficient regulations for the introduction of electric power into the Castner furnace, which ensure the minimization of specific energy consumption of the graphitization process.