Patent · US Expired

Method for reducing iron losses in an iron smelting process

US5885322A · kind A · utility

2Cited by
13References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 21, 1997
Grant dateMar 23, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 21, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P10/134
  • WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A process of smelting iron that comprises the steps of: PA1 a) introducing a source of iron oxide, oxygen, nitrogen, and a source of carbonaceous fuel to a smelting reactor, at least some of said oxygen being continuously introduced through an overhead lance; PA1 b) maintaining conditions in said reactor to cause (i) at least some of the iron oxide to be chemically reduced, (ii) a bath of molten iron to be created and stirred in the bottom of the reactor, surmounted by a layer of slag, and (iii) carbon monoxide gas to rise through the slag; PA1 c) causing at least some of said carbon monoxide to react in the reactor with the incoming oxygen, thereby generating heat for reactions taking place in the reactor; and PA1 d) releasing from the reactor an offgas effluent, PA1 is run in a way that keeps iron losses in the offgas relatively low. After start-up of the process is complete, steps (a) and (b) are controlled so as to: PA2 e) keep the temperature of the molten iron at or below about 1550.degree. C. and PA2 f) keep the slag weight at or above about 0.8 tonne per square meter.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.