An electric arc furnace (EAF) is a furnace that heats charged material by means of an electric arc.
Industrial arc furnaces range in size from small units of approximately one ton capacity (used in foundries for producing cast iron products) up to about 400 ton units used for secondary steelmaking. Arc furnaces used in research laboratories and by dentists may have a capacity of only a few dozen grams. Industrial electric arc furnace temperatures can reach 1,800 °C (3,272 °F), while laboratory units can exceed 3,000 °C (5,432 °F).
Arc furnaces differ from induction furnaces, in that the charged material is directly exposed to an electric arc and the current in the furnace terminals passes through the charged material.