An electric arc furnace supplies heat through an electric arc between electrodes and the charge or molten bath. In steelmaking, it melts and refines material that can include recycled steel and direct reduced iron. It provides a different heating route from the internal oxidation heat central to basic oxygen steelmaking.[ref]
Steel Production by the American Iron and Steel Institute. Electric-arc furnace route and feedstocks
The electrical input does not by itself determine the product's chemical composition. The charge, additives, slag and refining reactions must also be controlled. Similarly, the route's carbon dioxide emissions depend on how its electricity and metallic feed were produced; melting scrap and reducing fresh iron ore are different system boundaries.
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An Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) is a type of furnace that uses electrical energy to melt and refine steel and other metals. It operates by generating an electric arc between electrodes and the metal charge, creating high temperatures that allow the metal to melt. EAFs are widely used in steelmaking, particularly for recycling scrap steel, as they are efficient and can be more environmentally friendly compared to traditional methods like blast furnaces.