How Far Can Graphite Electrodes Go

　　Note: Core prompt, according to the research Xinluo News has done, UHPΦ500-550mm will be the most popular product when fifty more new electric furnaces come into operation in the next half year.

　　ICC：That electric-arc furnace substitutes for intermediate frequency furnace might be the most hotly discussed issue in the industry recently. About this issue, Xinluo News surveyed 60 intermediate frequency furnace companies and learned that about 30 companies have carried out technology upgrading to transform to electric furnace steel whit the equipment under construction. The other 30 companies are in active negotiation. But it’s still a problem how to gain the qualification for electric furnace steel at present.

　　In the statistics from Xinluo News, with the upgrading of intermediate frequency furnace companies, there will be fifty more new electric furnaces coming into operation before December, 2017. It will bring a new capacity of 250 million tons which are mainly produced during June to December, especially in July, August and September. 90% of the new electric furnaces are 70T ones, which will use graphite electrode of ultra high power Φ500-550mm. The electrode consumption of per ton steel is 2.2 to 2.5 kilograms. Besides, a few 80-100T electric furnaces will come into operation using graphite electrode of ultra high power Φ600mm. The new electric furnaces are equipped with matched finery.

　　As far as Xinluo News knows, the most popular graphite electrodes are the ones of ultra high power Φ450mm that are wildly used by the existing mills in converters. As we can see from the  new research, UHPΦ500-550mm will be the most popular product with the operation of 50 more new electric furnaces.

　　Companies that are changing their intermediate frequency furnace to electric-arc furnace have sense the hard-to-get atmosphere of graphite electrode and start to purchase graphite electrode while equipping electric furnace. It’s hard for them to get graphite electrode because they are new users of it. Now they pay the graphite electrode manufacturers or traffickers in advance so that they can get enough graphite electrode in this scramble. As far as Xinluo News knows, the output of electric furnace steel is expected to reach 100 million tons at the end of the year 2018.

　　Graphite electrode in the international market is hard-to-get as in China. When the graphite electrode users around the world are wondering whether the price of graphite electrode in China will rise, they suddenly find their stock is less than safe stock. They order graphite electrode in a great rush. It’s not the price of graphite electrode, because it seems hard for Chinese companies to deliver graphite electrode in time. In order to make sure the electric furnaces functions well, the overseas users can’t wait for a 30-45 days of haul cycle. At the end of May or the beginning of June, Chinese graphite electrode had been sent to Central Europe by special trains departed from Zhengzhou, which will compress the transport time to 15 days. What’s more, some graphite electrode required urgently was sent by plain to Ukraine.