Graphite electrodes for electric arc furnaces: key conductive materials Graphite electrodes are indispensable conductive materials in electric arc furnaces, which heat and melt the charge by releasing electrical energy. Its main raw materials are needle coke and petroleum coke, with asphalt as a binder, and are made through multiple complex processes such as calcination, batching, kneading, pressing, co-firing, graphitization and machining. Graphite electrodes have low resistivity, good electrical and thermal conductivity, excellent oxidation resistance, thermal shock resistance and mechanical vibration resistance, as well as high mechanical strength. Ultra-high power (UHP) graphite electrodes in electric arc furnaces Ultra-high power (UHP) graphite electrodes are usually made of needle coke and are mainly used for ultra-high power electric arc furnace steelmaking. Compared with traditional blast furnace converter technology, electric arc furnace steelmaking is based on scrap steel, with less investment and is more conducive to the recycling of scrap steel. With the development of the global steel industry, electric arc furnace technology has gradually developed towards large-scale, ultra-high power and automatic control, which has promoted the widespread application of ultra-high power graphite electrodes. Progress of China's graphite electrode manufacturing industry Compared with developed countries and regions such as the United States, Europe, and Japan, China's ultra-high power graphite electrode industry started late and relied mainly on imports in the early days. However, driven by the development of the steel industry and technological progress, China has gradually broken the monopoly on foreign technology and greatly improved its production capacity and product quality. At present, the ultra-high power graphite electrodes produced in China perform well on large-scale electric arc furnaces, and the product performance has reached the international leading level. It not only meets domestic demand, but also exports in large quantities, reducing dependence on imported products. Progress and challenges: Bottleneck of needle coke raw materials Although China has made significant progress in the ultra-high power graphite electrode industry, the key raw material needle coke still relies mainly on imports. As of now, the countries that can produce needle coke on a large scale in the world include the United States and Japan. The United States mainly produces oily needle coke, while Japan produces coal-based and oily needle coke. In recent years, China has made breakthrough progress in the research and development of needle coke and achieved industrialized production, but there is still a certain gap in quality with foreign high-quality needle coke. Major graphite electrode manufacturers For example, Zhengzhou Rongsheng Kiln Refractory Co., Ltd. produces ordinary, high-power and ultra-high power graphite electrodes to meet the needs of different industries. This article not only explains in detail what graphite electrodes are and their applications in electric arc furnaces, but also explores in depth the current status and challenges of China's ultra-high power graphite electrode industry.