Abstract: A direct smelting vessel which is adapted to contain a molten bath of metal and slag is disclosed. The vessel includes an off-gas duct that has: (a) a first section which has a relatively slight upward inclination to the horizontal from an inlet end of the first section; and (b) a second section which extends upwardly from an upper end of the first section at a relatively steep inclination to the horizontal.

Abstract: A direct smelting process for producing metal from a metalliferous feed material is disclosed. The direct smelting process is a molten bath-based process in which smelting occurs predominantly in the metal layer, carrier gas/metalliferous feed material/solid carbonaceous material are injected into the metal layer via lances/tuyeres, and oxygen-containing gas is injected into the top space above the molten bath and post-combusts reaction gases released from the bath. The injection of metalliferous feed material and solid carbonaceous material causes molten material to be projected from the molten bath as splashes, droplets and streams and to form a transition zone. The process is characterized by forming a pipe of a solid material on an outlet end of at least one lance/tuyere while injecting the metalliferous feed material and the carbonaceous material through the lances/tuyeres and thereby extending the effective length of the lance/tuyere or the lances/tuyeres.

Abstract: A process for direct smelting a metalliferous feed material is disclosed. The process includes the steps of partially reducing metalliferous feed material and substantially devolatilising coal in a pre-reduction vessel and producing a partially reduced metalliferous feed material and char. The process also includes direct smelting the partially reduced metalliferous feed material to molten metal in a direct smelting vessel using the char as a source of energy and as a reductant and post-combusting reaction gas produced in the direct smelting process with pre-heated air or oxygen-enriched air to a post-combustion level of greater than 70% to generate heat required for the direct smelting reactions and to maintain the metal in a molten state.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for producing metals from a metalliferous feed material are disclosed. The process includes the steps of partially reducing and at least partially melting a metalliferous feed material in a pre-reduction/melting means and completely reducing the partially reduced feed material in a reduction means. The pre-reduction/melting means is positioned directly above the reduction means and communicates with the reduction means so that at least partially molten, partially reduced feed material flows downwardly into a central region of the reduction means. The reduction means includes a vessel that contains a molten bath having a metal layer and a slag layer on the metal layer. The process includes injecting oxygen-containing gas into the reduction means and post-combusting reaction gas generated in the molten bath and injecting oxygen-containing gas into the pre-reduction/melting means and post-combusting reaction gas discharged from the reduction means.

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).

Abstract: A process for direct smelting a metalliferous feed material is disclosed. Char and fuel gas are produced by pre-treating coal with an oxygen-containing gas. The fuel gas is used to heat an oxygen-containing gas and/or to produce an oxygen-containing gas in an oxygen plant. Metalliferous feed material, char, and the oxygen-containing gas are injected into a direct smelting vessel, and the metalliferous feed material is smelted to molten metal in the direct smelting vessel using the char as a source of energy and as a reductant.

Abstract: A direct smelting process and a fixed, ie non-rotatable, metallurgical vessel for producing metal from a metalliferous feed material is disclosed. The process is a molten bath-based process which includes injecting solid feed materials with a carrier gas into the molten bath via one or more downwardly extending lance/tuyere (11) and causing gas flow from the molten bath at a flow rate of at least 0.30 Nm3/s/m2 at the interface between the metal layer (15) and the slag layer (16) of the molten bath (under quiescent conditions).

Abstract: A process for direct smelting metalliferous feed material is disclosed. Iron oxides are partially reduced in a solid state in a pre-reduction vessel. The partially reduced iron oxides are smelted to molten iron in a direct smelting vessel which contains a molten bath of iron and slag and is supplied with a solid carbonaceous material as a source of reductant and energy and with an oxygen-containing gas for post-combusting carbon monoxide and hydrogen generated in the vessel. The direct smelting step generates an off-gas that contains sulphur and the off-gas is released from the direct smelting vessel. Part only of the off-gas released from the direct smelting vessel is used in the pre-reduction step to pre-reduce iron oxides in the pre-reduction vessel. Part only of the off-gas is used in the pre-reduction step in order to control the amount of sulphur that is returned with the partially reduced iron oxides to the direct smelting vessel.

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.

Abstract: A method of producing metals and metal alloys from metal oxides is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of partially pre-reducing the metal oxides to a pre-reduction degree of at least 60% in one or more pre-reduction stages. Thereafter, the method comprises completely reducing the metal oxides and melting the metal in a smelt reduction stage. The method is further characterized by carrying out at least one of the pre-reduction stages with one or more of natural gas, reformed natural gas, and partially reformed natural gas as a source of reductant.

Abstract: The production of highly metallized feed, an intermediate product produced solely by gaseous reductants in two stage reduction processes of that kind, encounters sticking problems, which interfere with continuous processing and productivity. This problem has been overcome by exploiting a high volatile carbonaceous material, such as coal, as the reducing agent for the (partially reduced) oxide ore starting material in the solid state prereduction stage of a duplex process, in which the final stage consists of smelting, to produce the final metal (alloy). Intermediate products of the first stage are char from the coal, which avoids the sticking problem, partially reduced ore and CO and H2, which participate in the prereduction. The process has particular application to iron ores, such as haematite and magnetite and similar derivatives, namely, chromite and oxidic nickel ores.

Abstract: A molten bath-based direct smelting process for producing metals from metal oxides (including partially reduced metal oxides) is disclosed. The process includes causing upward movement of splashes, droplets, and streams of molten material from a metal layer (15) of the molten bath which:(i) promotes strong mixing of metal in a slag layer (16) of the molten bath so that the slag layer (16) is maintained in a strongly reducing condition leading to FeO levels below 8 wt % based on the total weight of the slag in the slag layer (16); and(ii) extends into a space above a nominal quiescent surface of the molten bath to form a transition zone (23).