Patent · US Expired

Direct smelting apparatus and process

US6379424B1 · kind B1 · utility

38Cited by
89References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 12, 2000
Grant dateApr 30, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 12, 2020

Classification

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

Abstract

A vessel which produces metal from a feed material by direct smelting is disclosed. The vessel contains a molten bath having a metal layer (15) and a slag layer (16) on the metal layer and a gas continuous space (31) above the slag layer. The vessel includes one or more lances/tuyeres (13) extending downwardly into the vessel and injecting an oxygen-containing gas into the vessel and injecting an oxygen-containing bas into the vessel above the metal and slag layer. The vessel includes a plurality of pairs of lances/tuyeres (11) extending downwardly and inwardly into the vessel and injecting feed material with a carrier gas into the molten bath so as to penetrate the metal layer and generate a bath-derived gas flow which carries molten material upwardly. The pairs of lances/tuyeres are spaced around the circumference of the vessel with one lance/tuyere of each pair injecting metalliferous feed material, at a temperature of at least 200° C. and the other lance/tuyere of each pair injecting carbonaceous material, at a temperature less than 200° C.

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