Technological Resources Pty. Limited

Outotec Oyj

Peter Damian Burke

Rodney James Dry

David John Leigh

Cecil Peter Bates

Andreas Orth

Robin John Batterham

Carolyn Anne McCarthy

Ralph Gottfried Weber

A direct smelting plant for producing molten metal from metalliferous feed material includes a pretreatment unit for pretreating metalliferous feed material and producing pretreated feed material, a direct smelting vessel for smelting pretreated metalliferous feed material to molten metal and a hot feed material transfer apparatus for transferring pretreated metalliferous feed material from the pretreatment unit to a solids delivery device of the direct smelting vessel. The transfer apparatus includes a hot feed material storage device, a hot feed material transfer line, device for unblocking the hot feed material transfer line and a pressurising device. The hot feed material transfer apparatus includes a device for returning pretreated metalliferous feed material to the pretreatment unit.

Direct smelting plant and process

A direct smelting plant that includes an effective and reliable solids feed means for injecting solid feed materials, particularly carbonaceous material, into a direct smelting vessel of the plant is disclosed. The solid feed means is characterised by independent supply of carbonaceous material to injection lances. The independent supply of carbonaceous material minimises the possible adverse impact of a breakdown of one or more than one lance or a breakdown of the carbonaceous material injection means for that lance or lances.

Supplying solid feed materials for a direct smelting process

A molten-bath based direct smelting process and apparatus for producing metals from a ferrous material is disclosed. The process includes injecting feed materials being solid material and carrier gas into a molten bath at a velocity of at least 40 m/s through at least one downwardly extending solids injection lance having a delivery tube of internal diameter of 40&#x2013;200 mm that is located so that a central axis of an outlet end of the lance is at an angle of 20 to 90 degrees to a horizontal axis. The feed materials injection generates a superficial gas flow of at least 0.04 Nm/s/mwithin the molten bath at least in part by reactions of injected material in the bath. The gas now causes molten material to be projected upwardly as splashes, droplets and streams and form an expanded molten bath zone, with the gas flow and the upwardly projected molten material causing substantial movement of material within the molten bath and strong mixing of the molten bath. The feed materials are selected so that, in an overall sense, the reactions of the feed materials in the molten bath are endothermic. The process also includes injecting an oxygen-containing gas into an upper region of the vessel via at least one oxygen gas injection lance and post-combusting combustible gases released from the molten bath.

Direct smelting process and apparatus

A molten bath-based direct smelting process for producing ferrous metal from a ferrous feed material is disclosed. The process is characterised by injecting pro-heated air downwardly into metallurgical vessel at an angle of 20 to 90&#xb0; C. relative to a horizontal axis and at a temperature of 800-1400 &#xb0; C. and at a velocity of 200-600 m/s via at least one lance () . This step forces molten material in the region of a lower end of the lance away from the lance and forming a 'free'space around the lower end of the lance that has a concentration of molten material that is lower than the molten material concentration in the raised bath. The process is further characterised in that the lance is located so that: (i) the lance extends into the vessel a distance that is at least the outer diameter of he lover end of the lance; and (ii) the lower end of the lance is at least 3 times the outer diameter of the lower end of the lance above a quiescent surface of the molt bath.

Direct smelting vessel

Start-up procedure for direct smelting process

A direct smelting process for producing metals from a metalliferous feed material is disclosed. The process includes forming a molten bath having a metal layer ( ) and a slag layer ( ) on the metal layer in a metallurgical vessel, injecting metalliferous feed material and solid carbonaceous material into the metal layer via a plurality of lances/tuyeres ( ), and smelting metalliferous material to metal in the metal layer. The process also includes causing molten material to be projected as splashes, droplets, and streams into a top space above a nominal quiescent surface of the molten bath to form a transition zone ( ). The process also includes injecting an oxygen-containing gas into the vessel via one or more than one lance/tuyere ( ) to post-combust reaction gases released from the molten bath, whereby the ascending and thereafter descending splashes, droplets and streams of molten material in the transition zone facilitate heat transfer to the molten bath, and whereby the transition zone minimises heat loss from the vessel via the side walls in contact with the transition zone. The process is controlled by maintaining a high slag inventory and by reducing the heat loss from the vessel through the side walls being continuously splashed by the transition zone.

Direct smelting process

A direct smelting process for producing molten iron and/or ferroalloys from a metalliferous feed material is disclosed. The process is a molten bath based process that is carried out in a direct smelting vessel. The process includes the steps of supplying metalliferous feed material, carbonaceous material and fluxes into the vessel; smelting metalliferous feed material to molten iron in the molten bath; and injecting an oxygen-containing gas into the vessel to post-combust gases generated in the process. The process is characterised by controlling the level of molten metal in the vessel by adjusting the pressure in the vessel.

Pressure control

A procedure for holding production of molten metal in a direct smelting process is disclosed. In situations where it is necessary to hold metal production and there is a continuing available supply of oxygen-containing gas and solid carbonaceous material, the hold procedure includes the steps of stopping supply of metalliferous feed material, continuing to inject oxygen-containing gas and solid carbonaceous material into the vessel and generating heat within the vessel to maintain the temperature of the molten bath above a temperature at which the bath freezes. In situations where it is necessary to hold production and there is a continuing supply of oxygen-containing gas but no available solid carbonaceous material, the hold procedure includes the steps of stopping supply of metalliferous feed material and injecting oxygen-containing gas and gaseous or liquid combustible material into the vessel and generating heat within the vessel to maintain the bath temperature.

Stable idle procedure

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.

Growing community of inventors

Winthrop, Australia

Peter Damian Burke