Direct smelting process

US6423115B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES PTY LIMITED · AU

Inventors

• Carolyn McCarthy · Palmyra, AU
• Rodney James Dry · Perth, AU
• Peter Damian Burke · Fremantle, AU
• Robin John Batterham · Melbourne, AU

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 6, 2000
• Grant date: Jul 23, 2002
• Expiry date: Jan 6, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P10/134
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

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 (15) and a slag layer (16) 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 (11), 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 (23). The process also includes injecting an oxygen-containing gas into the vessel via one or more than one lance/tuyere (13) 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 fro…