Reasons of destabilization of the electroslag melting process in the stationary current-based crystalliser

The paper considers the process of electroslag melting in the stationary type current-carrying crystallizer with a power supply connection scheme in which the power supply terminal of the current-carrying section of the crystallizer is connected to the terminal of the pallet. This type of connection of the crystallizer to the power source ensures high productivity of the melting process. However, even if the electrode feed rate into the slag pool is maintained at the constant rate, significant fluctuations in the electrode current are observed. The amplitude of these fluctuations reaches almost 50% of the maximum current value with a frequency of 10-25 s. This indicates significant fluctuations in the temperature of the slag bath during the melting process. These fluctuations can lead to undesirable changes in the physical, mechanical, and structural properties of the deposited metal. The causes of these fluctuations are analyzed. The ways to reduce them and increase stability of the melting process are presented.