News
INTERNATIONAL TESTS OF LARGE-SIZED GRAPHITE ELECTRODES OF GROUP EL 6 HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED
A pilot batch of 750mm diameter UHP graphite electrodes manufactured by El 6 Novocherkassk has undergone testing at one of the largest metallurgical plants in the Eurasian Economic Union. Ten units were used in the test run, sequentially built up in a single-phase ore-thermal furnace and then introduced into the melt. Based on the test results, the technical characteristics of the El 6 electrodes were found to comply with international standards.
Testing commenced on January 13, 2026, and concluded on March 18. Electrodes were added sequentially, and all 10 electrodes were commissioned during the third stage. The furnace operated in various modes, and testing was conducted under thermal and electrical loads. All 10 units successfully passed the meltdown stage, demonstrating stable operational durability characteristics.
The test report is based on a detailed comparison of the characteristics of the electrodes manufactured by El 6 and those of a major European manufacturer.
"These are the first tests of our line of 750 mm diameter electrodes, and it was important for us to objectively evaluate how our products meet international standards. At the beginning of the year, Russian metallurgical companies had not yet launched production of the latest-generation furnaces. So, we turned to our colleagues in Central Asia. The performance of our electrodes and the European product, which has set the industry standard for many years, turned out to be comparable, and we even achieved better results in terms of sealing tightness.
We are very grateful to our colleagues for their professional work and detailed, honest report. We can now confidently enter both the international and Russian markets. Moreover, the performance evaluation of our large-barite electrodes with a diameter of 750 mm on new-generation Russian furnaces will begin as early as June of this year,” said Sergey Ushakov, CEO of El 6 Group.
As a reminder, El 6 Group is one of only five manufacturers in the world with a full line of graphite electrodes with diameters ranging from 75 to 750 mm in its product portfolio.
