Patents Assigned to Midrex International B.V. Zurich Branch
  • Patent number: 7806959
    Abstract: Metallic iron nuggets made by reducing-melt of a material containing a carbonaceous reductant and a metal-oxide-containing material, the metallic iron nuggets comprising at least 94% by mass, hereinafter denoted as “%”, of Fe and 1.0 to 4.5% of C, and having a diameter of 1 to 30 mm are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Midrex International B.V. Zurich Branch
    Inventors: Shuzo Ito, Yasuhiro Tanigaki, Isao Kobayashi, Osamu Tsuge, Keisuke Honda, Koji Tokuda, Shoichi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 7674316
    Abstract: A hearth material is laid in the form of a layer on the hearth prior to supply of a mixture containing a carbonaceous reducing agent and iron oxides onto a hearth of a reduction melting furnace, thereby forming a renewable hearth capable of being renewed, and the metallic iron is produced while renewing a part or the whole of the renewable hearth, which has deteriorated during operation, with the hearth material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Midrex International B.V. Zurich Branch
    Inventors: Osamu Tsuge, Yasuhiro Tanigaki, Isao Kobayashi, Koji Tokuda, Shoichi Kikuchi, Shuzo Ito
  • Publication number: 20090031859
    Abstract: A hearth material is laid in the form of a layer on the hearth prior to supply of a mixture containing a carbonaceous reducing agent and iron oxides onto a hearth of a reduction melting furnace, thereby forming a renewable hearth capable of being renewed, and the metallic iron is produced while renewing a part or the whole of the renewable hearth, which has deteriorated during operation, with the hearth material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: MIDREX INTERNATIONAL B. V. Zurich Branch
    Inventors: Osamu TSUGE, Yasuhiro Tanigaki, Isao Kobayashi, Koji Tokuda, Shoichi Kikuchi, Shuzo Ito
  • Publication number: 20070227301
    Abstract: Metallic iron nuggets made by reducing-melt of a material containing a carbonaceous reductant and a metal-oxide-containing material, the metallic iron nuggets comprising at least 94% by mass, hereinafter denoted as “%”, of Fe and 1.0 to 4.5% of C, and having a diameter of 1 to 30 mm are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: MIDREX INTERNATIONAL B.V. Zurich Branch
    Inventors: Shuzo Ito, Yasuhiro Tanigaki, Isao Kobayashi, Osamu Tsuge, Keisuke Honda, Koji Tokuda, Shoichi Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20060248981
    Abstract: Metallic iron nuggets made by reducing-melt of a material containing a carbonaceous reductant and a metal-oxide-containing material, the metallic iron nuggets comprising at least 94% by mass, hereinafter denoted as “%”, of Fe and 1.0 to 4.5% of C, and having a diameter of 1 to 30 mm are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: November 9, 2006
    Applicant: MIDREX INTERNATIONAL B.V. Zurich Branch
    Inventors: Shuzo Ito, Yasuhiro Tanigaki, Isao Kobayashi, Osamu Tsuge, Keisuke Honda, Koji Tokuda, Shoichi Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20060070495
    Abstract: Metallic iron nuggets made by reducing-melt of a material containing a carbonaceous reductant and a metal-oxide-containing material, the metallic iron nuggets comprising at least 94% by mass, hereinafter denoted as “%”, of Fe and 1.0 to 4.5% of C, and having a diameter of 1 to 30 mm are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Applicant: MIDREX INTERNATIONAL B. V. Zurich Branch
    Inventors: Shuzo Ito, Yasuhiro Tanigaki, Isao Kobayashi, Osamu Tsuge, Keisuke Honda, Koji Tokuda, Shoichi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 6630010
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of producing granular metallic iron, including: heating a formed raw material comprising a carbonaceous reductant and a substance containing iron oxide in a reduction melting furnace to subject the iron oxide contained in the formed raw material to solid-state reduction; and carburizing reduced iron resulting from the solid-state reduction with carbon contained in the carbonaceous in the formed raw material and causing resulting molten metallic iron to coalesce into the granular metallic iron, wherein an atmospheric gas present in proximity to the formed raw material in the carburizing and melting step has a reduction degree of not less than 0.5. The present invention is also directed to a method of producing metallic iron, including forming a deposit layer containing slag produced in the reduction melting process on hearth refractories, thereby protecting the hearth refractories while producing the metallic iron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Midrex International B.V. Zurich Branch
    Inventors: Shuzo Ito, Yasuhiro Tanigaki, Shoichi Kikuchi, Osamu Tsuge, Isao Kobayashi, Keisuke Honda, Koji Tokuda, Hidekazu Okamoto
  • Patent number: 6592649
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of producing metallic iron nuggets with a high yield and good productivity, and more particularly a method which can produce metallic iron nuggets which have a high Fe purity and are excellent in transporting and handling due to a large grain diameter with a high yield and good productivity, when they are produced by reducing and melting raw material containing iron oxide such as iron ore and carbonaceous reducing agent such as coke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Midrex International B.V. Zurich Branch
    Inventors: Shoichi Kikuchi, Yasuhiro Tanigaki, Koji Tokuda, Osamu Tsuchiya, Shuzo Ito
  • Patent number: 6569223
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a molten metal iron by charging a starting material at least comprising a carbonaceous reducing material and an iron oxide-containing material into a rotary hearth furnace, reducing under heating the charged starting material into a solid reducing iron, carburizing the metal iron in the solid reduced iron with the carbon ingredient in the carbonaceous reducing material, thereby melting the metal iron, separating the slag ingredient contained in the starting material by the melting, and discharging the molten metal alloy in the molten state as it is to the outside of the rotary hearth furnace for recovery, wherein a downward inclined surface is disposed at an angle 3 to 30° relative to the horizontal plane on the upper surface of a hearth of the rotary hearth furnace on which the starting material is placed, and the molten metal iron is discharged at the discharging position for the molten metal iron from the lowest portion of the inclined surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Midrex International B.V. Zurich Branch
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Tanigaki, Osamu Tsuge, Isao Kobayashi, Keisuke Honda, Koji Tokuda, Shoichi Kikuchi, Shuzo Ito
  • Patent number: 6503289
    Abstract: A process comprising: charging a raw material compacting substance containing a carbonaceous reducing agent and an iron oxide contained substance into a moving hearth type furnace; reducing the raw material compacting substance to a reducing ratio 30 to 80% within the reducing furnace to thereby form a shell formed of metal iron or forming a state that a shell formed of metal iron or metal iron are stretched around in a network fashion and a carbonaceous reducing agent remains in a clearance therebetween; agglomerating produced slag containing FeO therein; charging the compacting substance reduced into a melting furnace in a state maintaining a high temperature, and carrying out final reducing and melting to obtain molten meal iron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Midrex International B.V. Zurich Branch
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Tanigaki, Akira Uragami
  • Publication number: 20010025550
    Abstract: A process comprising: charging a raw material compacting substance containing a carbonaceous reducing agent and an iron oxide contained substance into a moving hearth type furnace; reducing the raw material compacting substance to a reducing ratio 30 to 80% within the reducing furnace to thereby form a shell formed of metal iron or forming a state that a shell formed of metal iron or metal iron are stretched around in a network fashion and a carbonaceous reducing agent remains in a clearance therebetween; agglomerating produced slag containing FeO therein; charging the compacting substance reduced into a melting furnace in a state maintaining a high temperature, and carrying out final reducing and melting to obtain molten meal iron.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Publication date: October 4, 2001
    Applicant: MIDREX INTERNATIONAL B.V. Zurich Branch
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Tanigaki, Akira Uragami
  • Publication number: 20010025549
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a molten metal iron by charging a starting material at least comprising a carbonaceous reducing material and an iron oxide-containing material into a rotary hearth furnace, reducing under heating the charged starting material into a solid reducing iron, carburizing the metal iron in the solid reduced iron with the carbon ingredient in the carbonaceous reducing material, thereby melting the metal iron, separating the slag ingredient contained in the starting material by the melting, and discharging the molten metal alloy in the molten state as it is to the outside of the rotary hearth furnace for recovery, wherein a downward inclined surface is disposed at an angle 3 to 30° relative to the horizontal plane on the upper surface of a hearth of the rotary hearth furnace on which the starting material is placed, and the molten metal iron is discharged at the discharging position for the molten metal iron from the lowest portion of the inclined surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Publication date: October 4, 2001
    Applicant: MIDREX INTERNATIONAL B.V. Zurich Branch
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Tanigaki, Osamu Tsuge, Isao Kobayashi, Keisuke Honda, Koji Tokuda, Shoichi Kikuchi, Shuzo Ito