Electric Arc Furnace (EAF)

"EAF" is an abbreviation for the electric arc furnace, which is a common term for equipment and companies that use electric arc furnaces to produce steels.

Generally, an EAF melts iron scrap, which is the raw material, by arc discharge heat, and then removes impurities such as oxygen and nitrogen to produce steel.

The steel-making method using an EAF that uses scrap as raw material has advantages over the steel-making method using a blast furnace that uses iron ore, coal, and limestone, such as no ore refining process and a lower amount of carbon dioxide emissions per production volume, which reduces environmental impact.

On the other hand, since various impurities are included in iron scrap, it is difficult to adjust the composition, and some believe that the workability of steel products made by the steel-making method using an EAF is not as good as that of steel made by the steel-making method using a blast furnace. However, in recent years, technological improvements have been made, and techniques that effectively utilize those impurities have also emerged.

In addition, because iron scrap is used as raw material, attention has been drawn to the reduction of environmental impact through recycling and environmental protection, and it is expected to play an even more important role as a steel-making technology in the future.