FAQ
Common questions from international buyers evaluating steel refining and furnace materials.
General
What steel refining materials do you supply?
We supply 32 categories of steel refining materials including carbonizers and recarburizers, aluminum and deoxidizers, silicon and silicon carbide, ferroalloys, refractories, fluxes and slag, covering agents, cored wire, and metallurgical minerals.
Which countries do you ship to?
We ship globally to steel mills, foundries, and metal processing facilities across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.
What is your typical lead time?
Standard orders ship within 7-15 working days. Custom specifications may require 15-25 working days depending on processing requirements.
How many product categories does KHAKI TRADING supply?
We supply 32 product categories spanning ferroalloys, recarburizers and carbonizers (including GPC), aluminum and deoxidizers, silicon and silicon carbide, refractories, fluxes and slag, covering agents, cored wire, and metallurgical minerals.
Product
How do I choose the right carbonizer grade?
Select based on fixed carbon content, sulfur level, and particle size matched to your furnace type: coarser grades for EAF charge carbon, finer grades for ladle carbon adjustment.
What ferrosilicon grades are available?
We supply FeSi 65%, FeSi 72%, and FeSi 75% grades with controlled aluminum, phosphorus, and carbon content for steelmaking and foundry applications.
What are your aluminum ingot specifications?
Our aluminum ingots are available in minimum 99.0% and 99.5% Al purity grades, typically in 20-25 kg ingots suitable for ladle deoxidation.
What silicon carbide purity levels do you offer?
We offer silicon carbide in 85%, 90%, 95%, and 98% SiC content grades, available as grain or briquetted balls for EAF and ladle applications.
Can you supply custom particle sizes?
Yes, we can supply products in custom particle size ranges to match your handling, feeding, or dissolution requirements.
What is GPC recarburizer and how does it differ from calcined coke or synthetic graphite?
GPC (graphitized petroleum coke) recarburizer is a high-purity carbon additive with fixed carbon typically at least 98.5%, sulfur at or below 0.05%, and nitrogen at or below 0.03%, giving faster dissolution than calcined coke at a lower cost than synthetic graphite.
Magnesium or calcium carbide — which desulfurization agent should I use?
Magnesium acts fast with high utilization per kilogram and is well suited to deep desulfurization, while calcium carbide offers sustained capacity at a lower cost; co-injecting both can reach sulfur below 20 ppm.
What is the difference between ferrovanadium and vanadium-nitrogen alloy?
Ferrovanadium (FeV) is the primary vanadium source for grain refinement and precipitation strengthening, while vanadium-nitrogen (VN) alloy also introduces nitrogen, which improves the strength gain per unit of vanadium in HSLA steels.
Manganese metal or ferromanganese — which do I need for special steel?
Electrolytic manganese metal (at least 99.7% Mn) adds manganese without carbon or iron for low-carbon, low-phosphorus special grades, while ferromanganese is the lower-cost standard source for bulk manganese alloying and carries carbon.
Quality
How do you control product quality?
We implement lot-specific testing, pre-shipment sampling, and Certificate of Analysis documentation for every production batch.
Can you provide a Certificate of Analysis (CoA)?
Yes, we provide a lot-specific Certificate of Analysis with every shipment documenting the measured chemical composition and physical properties.
How do you ensure lot-to-lot consistency?
We source from qualified producers, maintain specification control at the point of origin, and track lot-to-lot variation through CoA records.
What sulfur and nitrogen limits should EAF recarburizers meet?
For special and clean steels, EAF recarburizers should keep sulfur at or below 0.05% and nitrogen at or below 0.03%, with ash of 0.5% or less and high carbon recovery.
What carbon-footprint or green-steel certifications should I request from a ferroalloy supplier?
Request carbon-footprint declarations based on PAS 2050 or ISO 14067, environmental product declarations (EPDs), and production-route and origin documentation, along with standard mill test certificates.
Shipping
What packaging options do you offer?
Standard packaging includes 1-ton bulk bags, 25-50 kg small bags, and bulk loose loading, depending on the product and your handling requirements.
What are your container loading specifications?
We load 20-foot and 40-foot containers with typical net weights of 20-27 tons per container depending on product density and packaging type.
Is late 2026 a good time to stock up on steel-refining materials?
Late 2026 is shaping up as a favorable procurement window: ocean freight on major lanes is expected to keep softening through the second half, and ferroalloy prices are widely described as bottoming on a low-H1, higher-H2 trajectory.
Application
Which deoxidizer is best for my process?
The best deoxidizer depends on your steel grade: aluminum-based for killed steels, silicon-based for silicon-killed grades, and composite deoxidizers for general-purpose continuous casting.
What are the guidelines for core wire injection?
Key parameters include injection speed (50-200 m/min), depth below the slag-metal interface, and argon stirring intensity during and after injection.
What CBAM documentation is required when importing ferroalloys into the EU?
Under the EU CBAM, importers must report the embedded emissions of imported goods, which requires supplier carbon-footprint data, production-route information, and a complete documentation trail from producer to declaration.
How does the US Section 232 melt-and-pour rule affect my steel material imports?
Under the April 2026 Section 232 rules, steel articles can face a 50% full-value duty unless the melt-and-pour origin can be demonstrated, so buyers must verify where the liquid steel was first melted and poured.