Structurally sound steel ingots are produced by the conventional electroslag process using prereduced iron ore pellets containing as much as 2.8% oxygen pressed into a bar shape as a consumable electrode. A carbon source, such as silicon carbide or titanium carbide, is dispersed in the flux to prevent oxygen transfer from the flux to the ingot thus preventing blowhole porosity caused by the oxygen and allowing production of a structurally sound ingot. Alternatively, ferroalloys can be mixed with the iron ore pellets before pressing. This not only deoxidizes the melt, but also permits the production of specific alloy steel compositions.
A method of controlling contamination of, and alloy variations in the remelted product of an electro-slag refining (ESR) or remelting process. More particularly, this invention is directed to a slag forming flux, to the timing and/or manner in which the flux is utilized during such method, and to a slag deoxidizer. The controls are achieved by the sequential additions of a (1) flux of predominantly CaF.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 with the balance a mixture of SiO.sub.2 and MnO, and (2) a non-aluminum containing slag deoxidizer such as CaSi. Preferably, the flux is added in two portions about one-third at start-up with the remainder after the start-up portion has melted to form a slag blanket. As a preferred alternative, the total amount of SiO.sub.2 /MnO of the flux is added with the start-up portion and the remainder portion comprises essentially only CaF.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.
