The use of high current electric arcs in furnaces for the extraction of metals is briefly reviewed.The recent history of d.c. open-arc furnace applications in extractive metallurgy is given together with a general description of the construction and operation of type of electric furnace.the advantages and obstacles to utilizing higher voltage operation in these furnaces leads to a requirement that the fundamental behaviour of d.c.high current arcs in hot furnace environments should be better understood.The theoretical and experimental studies carried out in this field,including the contribution of Szekely and co-authors,is reviewed.It is concluded that further research and development work in developing dynamic models of arc behaviour and associated measurements of these model parameters should be undertaken.This information can then be applied to the design of the power supply equipment for d.c.arc furnaces to improve are stability and allow higher voltage operation.the influence of feed materials and foamy slags on arc column behaviour would also be valuble in further improving the performance of d.c are furnaces.
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