Influence of geometric shape of sponge iron used in induction furnace on metallurgical properties of produced steel

The geometric shape of the sponge iron particles (direct reduced iron, dri) used in the induction furnace is very influential on the steel making process. in this paper, the effect of the geometrical deformation of dri from spherical to other shapes on the final product quality and performance of the induction furnace is investigated. the results showed that the typical spherical shape of dri melts over time and consumes more energy due to the air gap built between its particles. long periods cause more oxidation and, consequently, more iron loss and lower iron production rates. crushed dri due to rapid melting, oxidation is much less and with high iron grade (94.9%) in steel, more molten weight and higher iron production rate (1.94 g/s) than other samples. other geometric shapes, such as cylinders and cones, cannot be used industrially due to their high manufacturing costs, despite having mediocre results.