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5929799 
Journal Article 
Managing the tap-hole life-cycle at five submerged arc furnaces producing silicomanganese at Transalloys 
Sutherland, JJ; Gous, JP 
2019 
119 
6 
563-571 
WOS:000482827800007 
Transalloys is a silicomanganese (SiMn) producer located in South Africa, and uses only local manganese ores to produce SiMn alloy. The plant operates five open submerged arc furnaces (SAFs) with an annual capacity of 180 000 t of saleable SiMn. Maintaining tap-holes is critical for effective furnace operation. allowing proper drainage of the furnace with minimal operator interference. Using a claygun and drill arrangement installed at each furnace, tapping occurs every four hours. Tap-holes are maintained through mickey replacement and brick repairs. Three furnaces have SiC tap-holes and two have graphite tap-holes. This paper gives a review of SAF operation, furnace and tap-hole design, daily tapping operation, and maintenance practices for repairing tap-holes. 
tap-hole; life-cycle; submerged arc furnace; silicomanganese; Transalloys