Abstract: Submerged combustion burners having a burner body, a burner tip connected thereto, and a protective cap and/or cladding layer. Submerged combustion melters including the burners and methods of using them to produce molten glass. The burner body has an external conduit and first and second internal conduits substantially concentric therewith, forming first and second annuli for passing a cooling fluid therethrough. The burner tip body is connected to the burner body at ends of the external and second internal conduits. The burner tip and protective cap and/or cladding layer include a generally central flow passage for a combustible mixture, the flow passage defined by an inner wall of the burner tip and protective cap.

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 self-cleaning lance includes a lance body elongated along a longitudinal axis and having an upper end portion and a lower end portion, the lower end portion being spaced apart from the upper end portion along the longitudinal axis. One or more main nozzles are located proximal to the lower end portion and are adapted to release an oxygen-containing gas. One or more deskulling nozzles are spaced upwardly from the lower end portion and are adapted to release a deskulling gas. The lance body has a first portion that extends axially from the deskulling nozzles to the main nozzles and a second portion above the deskulling nozzles. The first portion has a smaller outer perimeter than the outer perimeter of the second portion. Each of the deskulling nozzles extends by an angle of not greater than 25 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A method of melting steel in an oxygen converter from solid metal iron-bearing materials includes the steps of loading these materials and their subsequent heating up to their melting through burning hydrocarbon and solid carbon-containing fuels in an oxygen-containing gas. Then, when the temperature of the melt is 1525.degree.-1580.degree. C. the oxidizing slag is removed from its surface and thereafter a solid iron is loaded into the bath in an amount of 2-5% of the original quantity of the solid metal iron-bearing materials.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of low-carbon and low-silicon ferromanganese (refined ferromanganese) by blowing with pure oxygen in a converter ferromanganese of high carbon content (high-carbon ferromanganese) produced in a blast furnace. The characterizing feature of the invention is that in an oxidation phase oxygen is blown from above with a top blowing lance on to the melt of high-carbon ferromanganese melt, while at the same time an inert stirring gas is blown through tuyeres into the melt below its level, and on termination of oxygen top blowing, in an immediately following reduction phase, solid reducing agents and lumps of lime are added to the melt to recover the slagged manganese.

Abstract: In a process for the production of steel from scrap in a refining vessel having feed nozzles below the surface of the steel bath and top-blowing devices and in which carbonaceous solid fuel and oxygen-containing gases are used as reagents, the same reagents are used to supply heat to the scrap and to the melt in the refining vessel and the resulting gaseous reaction products are after-burned with preheated air.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing steel of low phosphorus content from hot metal of usual phosphorus content, in which the hot metal is simultaneously decarburized and dephosphorized in a single process step in a metallurgical vessel, in particular in a converter. The refining gas consisting predominantly or completely of technically pure oxygen is top-blown into the melt, particularly from below. The vessel is charged with hot metal containing manganese in an amount of less than 0.2% by weight. Lime is then added and refining is carried out down to a final phosphorus content of 0.005% by weight or less in the steel at the end of blowing, without a change of slag.

Abstract: At least one lance is substantially vertically arranged above a hot-metal runner of a blast furnace so that the lowermost end of the lance is spaced apart by a prescribed distance from the surface of molten pig iron flowing through the hot-metal runner. A granular chemical composition adjusting agent for adjusting the chemical composition of molten pig iron is blown, through the lance, into molten pig iron by means of a carrier gas to adjust the chemical composition of molten pig iron so as to satisfy the following two equations:0.5H.ltoreq.H.sub.p <H (1)H.sub.p =M.multidot.G.multidot.exp(-r)/(D+0.02H.sub.L).sup.2 (2)In equations (1) and (2):H: depth of molten pig iron in the hot-metal runner (mm),H.sub.p : penetration depth of the granular chemical composition adjusting agent into molten pig iron in the hot-metal runner (mm),M: flow rate of the granular chemical composition adjusting agent (kg/minute),G: flow rate of the carrier gas (Nm.sup.

Abstract: Method for slag chemistry control in a refractory lined vessel during the process of refining metal by the injection of oxygen gas during a period of oxidation and by the injection of nonoxidizing gas or gases during a period of reduction and melt specification adjustment such that the slag at the completion of the refining process will have a preselected composition consisting essentially of A% alumina (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3), B% silica (SiO.sub.2), C% CaO and D% MgO and a ratio X of alumina to silica equal to a preselected value of between about 0.1 to 10. The preselected slag chemistry at the completion of refining is achieved by using a combination of aluminum and silicon to achieve as completely as possible the preselected ratio of alumina to silica in the slag while at the same time satisfying the fuel, reduction, and specification silicon requirements of the bath at the given intervals corresponding to the end of the oxidizing period, the reducing period and the final trim.

Abstract: A method for producing steels of high purity and low gas content in steel mills and steel foundries comprises melting the steel with the desired alloying components in a ladle, directing an inert gas and oxygen mixture to the ladle with the molten steel to decarburize the steel in at least one phase, and carrying out decarburization, deoxidation and fining in separate operational steps without disturbing the coherence of the entire process cycle. The apparatus for carrying out the method includes a converter for the decarburization of the steel in several phases permitting successively a treatment with an air inert gas oxygen mixture and pure inert gas in gas amounts greatly varying from each other. In addition, a ladle is required for fine-flushing the steel succeeding the converter. The converter mouth advantageously has a mechanism permitting temporary reduction of the converter opening area.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a lance structure for use with a top-blown converter. The lance structure is constructed to include a cylindrical sheath having a bottom wall and a flux supply tube disposed at the center of the sheath and defining a passage for carrying slag-forming flux in a powdered form. Further inclusive are a plurality of oxygen supply tubes which are arranged in the sheath and around the flux supply tube and which define oxygen supply passages. From the oxygen supply tubes, there lead a corresponding number of Laval nozzles which have their exits opened in the sheath bottom so that the oxygen gas supplied through the oxygen supply passages may be blown in the form of supersonic jets to penetrate into the molten iron contained in the converter. The flux supply tube is formed with ports which are opened into the Laval nozzles just upstream of the exits thereof to feed the flux together with a carrier gas to the supersonic oxygen jets so that the carrier gas flows may merge into the oxygen jets.

Abstract: A method for making high quality liquid iron with substantially no residual chemical elements and a controlled content of carbon, manganese, phosphorous, sulfur and silicon in the final metal. Sponge iron, as raw material, is melted in a vessel or converter with a basic refractory lining. The energy required for melting the sponge iron is provided by the exothermic reaction of carbon from any coal or carbonaceous material and oxygen in solution within the metal bath and by the combustion of other hydro-carbon fluids, all injected to the bath through nozzles preferably located in the bottom of the converter. Further energy is obtained with the post-combustion of gases leaving the metal bath when ascending to the upper port of the converter.

Abstract: A process for producing a low P chromium-containing steel in an AOD vessel from a high P chromium-containing molten pig iron comprising a first stage of recarborization, desiliconzation and temperature raising, a second stage of dephosphorization with slag, which may be repeated, and a third stage of conventional refining.

Abstract: This invention uses a dual basicity (DB) flux during the refining of steel which comprises the use of one or more flux components with high basicity/activity, for example sodium carbonate and/or barium oxide, with one or more normal fluxes having a lower basicity/activity such as calcium or magnesium oxides or dolomite. It has been found that it is only necessary to use a small percentage of the said high basicity fluxes in the total flux, for example 10%. The use of the said DB type of flux is particularly apt when the total amount of flux used is reduced to give a slag with a low Vee Ratio (CaO:SiO.sub.2), of the order of 1.0 to 2.0, and when magnesia is present in the slag formed preferably derived from an added lower basicity (MgO) flux component or partly from the furnace refractory lining.