Technological Resources Pty. Limited

Technologies Resources Pty Limited

Cecil Peter Bates

Peter Damian Burke

Rodney James Dry

David John Leigh

Ralph Gottfried Weber

Ralph M Weber

Direct smelting vessel

Start-up procedure for direct smelting process

A method of producing iron from iron carbide is disclosed. Solid iron carbide is injected into a molten bath comprising molten iron and slag and dissolves in the molten bath. An oxygen-containing gas is injected into a gas space above the surface of the molten bath to cause combustion of at least a portion of combustible material in the gas space. In addition splashes and/or droplets of molten iron and/or slag are ejected upwardly from the molten bath into the gas space above the quiescent bath surface to form a transition zone. The transition zone is a region in which heat generated by combustion of combustible material is transferred to the splashes and/or droplets of molten iron and/or slag and thereafter is transferred to the molten bath when the splashes and/or droplets of molten iron and/or slag return to the molten bath.

Producing iron from solid iron carbide

A vessel which produces metal from a metalliferous feed material by a direct smelting process is disclosed. The vessel contains a molten bath having a metal layer (,) and a slag layer (,) on the metal layer and has a gas continuous space (,) above the slag layer. The vessel includes a hearth formed of refractory material having a base (,) and sides (,) in contact with the molten metal and side walls (,) which extend upwardly from the sides (,) of the hearth and are in contact with the slag layer and the gas continuous space. The side walls that contact the gas continuous space include water cooled panels (,) and a layer of slag on the panels. The vessel also includes one or more than one lance/tuyere (,) extending downwardly into the vessel and injecting an oxygen-containing gas into the vessel above the metal layer and a plurality of lances/tuyeres (,) injecting at least part of the metalliferous feed material and a carbonaceous material with a carrier gas into the molten bath so as to penetrate the metal layer.

Direct smelting vessel and direct smelting process

A process for producing metals from a metalliferous feed material in an electric furnace is disclosed. The process includes the steps of forming a molten bath having a metal layer and a slag layer on the metal layer in the furnace and supplying electrical energy to the furnace and converting the electrical energy to thermal energy and thereby contributing to the heat input requirements of the process. The process also includes injecting a carrier gas and a solid carbonaceous material into the molten bath via one or more than one solids injection lance/tuyere and causing molten material to be projected from the molten bath as splashes, droplets, and streams into a space above a nominal quiescent surface of the molten bath and forming a transition zone. The process also includes injecting an oxygen-containing gas into the furnace via one or more than one oxygen-containing gas injection lance/tuyere and post-combusting reaction gases released from the molten bath and thereby further contributing to the heat requirements of the process. In this process the ascending and thereafter descending splashes, droplets, and streams of molten material in the transition zone facilitate heat transfer to the molten bath and the transition zone minimises heat loss from the furnace via the side walls in contact with the transition zone.

Process and an apparatus for producing metals and metal alloys

A lance (,) for injecting a feed material, preferably a solid feed material, into a metallurgical vessel, is disclosed. The lance comprises: an inlet (,) for introducing the feed material into the lance; an outlet (,) at a forward end of the lance (,) for discharging the feed material from the lance (,); a hollow elongate member (,) that defines a passageway (,) for the feed material between the inlet (,) and the outlet (,) and is adapted to be cooled by a first cooling fluid; and an outer jacket (,) positioned around a section of the length of the member (,) and is adapted to be cooled by a second cooling fluid.

Growing community of inventors

Mt. Pleasant, Australia

Cecil Peter Bates