Outotec Oyj

Metallgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft

Sms Siemag Aktiengesellschaft

Outotec (finland) Oy

Outokumpu Technology Oyj

Heinz Eichberger

Andreas Orth

Rod James Dry

Donald Keith Philp

Jeantine Van Gemund, Legal Representative

Harry Serbent

Wolfram Schnabel

Michael Stroeder

Gerhard Reuter

Siegfried Schimo

Karl-Josef Schneider

Herbert Lausch

Horst Steinhofel

Hermann Lommert

Andrew Adipuri

William Wells

Kasper Kokkonen

Max-Dieter Laumann

In a method of charging fine-grained metals, in particular directly reduced iron (DRI), into an electric-arc furnace (), the metal is supplied via a downpipe () to an opening () provided in the furnace roof (), is introduced into the furnace () through this opening () as bulk material stream (), and falls onto the melt () merely by gravity. Further, an electric-arc furnace () suited for this purpose is described. A rather loss-free introduction even of fine-grained material having a mean grain size of less than 1 mm is achieved by passing the bulk material stream () through a dosing orifice () after the downpipe () and before entering the furnace (). The bulk material stream () then enters the furnace essentially undisturbed.

Method of charging fine-grained metals into an electric-arc furnace

A direct reduction process for a metalliferous material includes supplying the metalliferous material, a solid carbonaceous material, an oxygen-containing gas, and a fluidizing gas into a fluidized bed in a vessel and maintaining the fluidized bed in the vessel, at least partially reducing metalliferous material in the vessel, and discharging a product stream that includes the partially reduced metalliferous material from the vessel. The process comprises (a) reducing the metalliferous material in a solid state in a metal-rich zone in the vessel; (b) injecting the oxygen-containing gas into a carbon-rich zone in the vessel with a downward flow in a range of &#xb1;40&#xb0; to the vertical and generating heat by reactions between oxygen and the metalliferous material (including metallized material), the solid carbonaceous material and other oxidizable solids and gases in the fluidized bed, and (c) transferring heat from the carbon-rich zone to the metal-rich zone by movement of solids within the vessel. The metal-rich zone is formed in a lower section of the vessel and the carbon-rich zone is an intermediate section below an upper section of the vessel. Oxygen-containing gas is injected into a central region of the vessel.

Direct reduction process using a single fluidised bed

An apparatus for reducing a metalliferous material in a fluidized bed includes a vessel for containing the fluidized bed, a mechanism for supplying the metalliferous material, a solid carbonaceous material, an oxygen-containing gas, and a fluidizing gas into the vessel for forming the fluidized bed in the vessel. The oxygen-containing gas supply mechanism includes one or more than one oxygen-containing gas injection lance having a lance tip with an outlet that is positioned for injecting the oxygen-containing gas in a downward flow into the vessel within a range of plus or minus 40&#xb0; to the vertical.

Direct reduction apparatus and process

A direct reduction process for a solid metalliferous material having a particle size distribution that at least in part contains micron sized particles includes supplying the metalliferous material, a solid carbonaceous material, an oxygen-containing gas, and a fluidizing gas into a fluidized bed in a vessel and maintaining the fluidized bed in the vessel, at least partially reducing metalliferous material in the vessel, and discharging a product stream that comprises the partially reduced metalliferous material from the vessel. The process includes (a) establishing and maintaining a carbon-rich zone within the fluidized bed; (b) passing metalliferous material, including metallized material (which term includes partially metallized material), through the carbon-rich zone; and (c) injecting the oxygen-containing gas into the carbon-rich zone and oxidizing metallized material, solid carbonaceous material and other oxidizable solids and gases and causing controlled agglomeration of particles.

Direct reduction process

A direct reduction process for a metalliferous material includes supplying a solid carbonaceous material and an oxygen-containing gas into a fluidized bed in a first vessel and generating heat by reactions between the oxygen-containing gas and the solid carbonaceous material and any other oxidizable solids and gases in the fluidized bed and discharging a hot off-gas stream containing entrained solids. The process also includes supplying the metalliferous material to a fluidized bed in a second vessel and supplying the hot off-gas stream containing entrained solids from the first vessel to the fluidized bed in the second vessel and partially reducing the metalliferous feed material in the solid state in the fluidized bed and discharging a product stream of partially reduced metalliferous material and an off-gas stream containing entrained solids.

Direct reduction process and apparatus

The direct reduced iron (DRI) which for at least 80 wt-% has a grain size of not more than 3 mm is melted in an electric arc furnace. The furnace contains a bath of liquid iron. During the operation of the furnace a foamy slag layer is formed on the bath and the DRI falls by gravity through at least one movable lance into the foamy slag layer on the iron bath. Preferably, the distance of the aperture of the lance to the iron bath is kept practically constant.

Method of melting fine grained direct reduced iron in an electric arc furnace

Residual materials which become available in metallurgy and contain oxides and volatilizable non-ferrous metals or compounds thereof are treated in a rotary kiln with solid carbonaceous reducing agents and are thus directly reduced in a high proportion to sponge iron whereas a substantial part of their non-ferrous metal content is volatilized. The solids discharged from the rotary kiln are sieved with a parting size of about 3 to 10 mm, depending on the feed grading of the residual materials and their disintegration characteristics, so that a major part of the unmagnetic material is included in the fine fraction. The coarse fraction is subjected to an electro-slag resistance process. The fine fraction is subjected to an electro-magnetic separation. The magnetic fraction is subjected to the resistance slag-refining process. The unmagnetic fraction is incorporated in and bonded to the feed mixture for the rotary kiln by a tumbling or pelletizing operation.

Steel making process

A process for the calcining of limestone or hydrated lime by thermal treatment thereof with hot gases in an oxidizing atmosphere in a rotary kiln through which the kiln atmosphere and the charge are countercurrently passed, which kiln is fed with fuel from shell burners, is described. The invention resides in the use of different fuels which release different quantities of SO.sub.2 and SO.sub.3 per unit of calorific heat. The fuel which releases the larger quantity of SO.sub.2 or SO.sub.3 per unit value of calorific heat is supplied to the upper portion of the rotary kiln, and the fuel which releases the smaller quantity of SO.sub.2 and SO.sub.3 per unit of calorific heat is supplied to the lower portion of the rotary kiln.

Growing community of inventors

Bad Soden, Germany

Heinz Eichberger