<p>This paper employs a dynamic multizone model to investigate reduction and preheating mechanisms in the freeboard of a DC ferrochrome furnace. The model explores the thermodynamic viability of freeboard reactions to identify mechanisms with potential implications for process understanding. The focus is on gases generated in the bath interacting with charged feed materials. Kinetics regarding actual particle properties are excluded but simulated in a lumped way by varying mass transfer rates for material streams. Arc physics and exact heat transfer mechanisms are beyond this papers’ scope. The model incorporates industrial observations to reveal possible underlying mechanisms, showing pathways where further investigation on industrial operations may lead to process optimization, energy savings, and risk mitigation during furnace start-up, operation, and scale-up. Key findings highlight the possible presence of internal material cycles, including for Cr–C–O and Si–Mg–C–O. Simulations show that reducing gases such as <InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\({\text{Mg(g)}}\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mtext>Mg(g)</mtext> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, <InlineEquation ID="IEq2"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\({\text{SiO(g)}}\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mtext>SiO(g)</mtext> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, and <InlineEquation ID="IEq3"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\({\text{Cr(g)}}\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mtext>Cr(g)</mtext> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, produced in varying amounts depending on bath temperature beneath the electrode, can theoretically transfer significant mass and energy to counter-currently falling feed. The simulations indicate this preheats and partially reacts with the feed before it enters the bath, thereby lowering bath energy requirements and enabling higher temperatures in the arcing zone compared to unreduced feed. At an arbitrarily fixed 40<InlineEquation ID="IEq4"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(\,{\text{MW}}\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mrow> <mspace width="0.166667em" /> <mtext>MW</mtext> </mrow> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation> power input, various reaction pathways achieve the same overall energy balance while producing different compositions of material entering the bath. A notable novelty is the possible formation of carbides in the freeboard, providing a further possible physical explanation for high tapped alloy carbon content. Model limitations and potential extensions are discussed. Sampling of slag, alloy, and particularly dust should be intensified to verify or falsify these theoretical results.</p>