Theory and experiment of thermal stress fracture of graphite electrodes for steel-making arc furnaces Original Research Article

Transient temperature and thermal stress distributions of a cylindrical rod which is locally heated eccentrically at an end surface are analyzed on the basis of thermoelastic theories. These results give a theoretical background of the fracture of graphite electrodes used in steel-making arc furnaces, which is occasionally found when electrodes are operated under high-power conditions. An experimental result of the thermal shock fracture of a graphite rod which was locally heated at an end surface by arc discharge is shown to demonstrate the correspondence of theoretical and actual fractures in the vicinity of the heated end of the graphite electrode.