Introduction

Raw materials and operating practices affect EAF efficiency and yield. The traditional EAF charge has been 100% cold scrap. The charge materials saturation is critical for several reasons:

• The product mix served by EAFs is moving more towards value-added steels, which are specified with low metallic residuals and low nitrogen levels (automotive flat rolled, cold heading- rolled and wire).
  
  
• The availability of scrap needed to meet the requirements of value added products is limited. The availability of scrap is decreasing as more and more near-net-shape metalworking operations appear.
  
  
• Yield and energy consumption are both strongly dependent on the quality and physical characteristics of the charge materials availability.

Type of metallic charge materials

• Pig iron/hot metal
• Direct reduced iron (DRI)
• Iron carbide ()