Slagging gate powders

Slagging gate powders

In the steel industry, tap hole powders, also known as a slagging powder or plugging mass, is produced, and used to promote the natural opening of the ladle or furnace taphole. The filler is placed in the tap hole before steel is introduced. Once the steel is introduced, the tap hole powder prevents hardening at the tap hole and promotes natural opening. For ladle use, fillers are usually made from materials such as chromite, silica sand or olivine for EBT furnace use. Using a quality tape hole material helps to improve the natural opening rate to protect operators and increase steel production efficiency. 

What is a tap hole material and what are its uses?

A tap hole powder is applied in the tap hole to prevent liquid steel from entering and hardening before casting. Hardening at the taphole would not permit it to open, so intervention with a torch would be necessary. The tap hole powders are used to improve production, while reducing the risk to operators.

Slagging gate powders

Types of tap hole materials

There are two main areas of application for tap hole materials: 

For the ladle taphole, based on chromite and silica sand. A zirconium filler may be required for specific operating conditions, but it is much more expensive than a chromite filler (e.g., for stainless steels).

For the furnace EBT, usually based on olivine. 

How do tap hole materials improve productivity?

Tap hole materials help to improve production performance, as the use of a quality filler powder allows the tap hole to open naturally, otherwise an interruption would be required to unblock the tap hole with a torch, exposing the operators to additional risk. 

How do I choose a tap hole powder?

There is a wide variety of tap hole powder used in the steel industry, each with different properties that make them more or less suitable for specific applications. To promote natural opening, it is essential to choose a product that meets the user’s requirements and constraints.

COMAP SAS is one of the leading suppliers of tap hole materials to the steel industry in France. We offer a wide range of products to meet the needs of our customers and our experienced team is available to answer your questions to help you select the right product for your application. If you are looking for a reliable partner in the steel industry, COMAP SAS is the ideal choice. Contact us today to learn more about our products and services.