Abstract: The present invention provides a reduction system and method that can be operated with any proportion of gaseous hydrogen-containing gases and gaseous hydrocarbon-containing gases having the possibility of continuing its operation, ensuring an high process availability and negligible loss of production, when the gaseous hydrogen-containing gas for any reason is not available and allow the substitution of the gaseous hydrogen-containing gas with a gaseous hydrocarbon-containing gas with minor adjustments in the plant operation. The reduction system of the invention is designed to be implemented in new and already built direct reduction plants to operate efficiently and has lower capital and operation costs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing direct reduced iron using a pre-treated make-up gas as a reducing agent in a direct reduced iron reactor are provided. The method involves pre-treating a stream of make-up gas containing heavy hydrocarbons by subjecting the stream to low temperature adiabatic reforming at a temperature between 300° C. and 600° C., prior to using the stream of make-up gas as a reducing agent for producing direct reduced iron. The method also involves adjusting the humidity content of the stream of make-up gas after the low temperature adiabatic reforming by bypassing the stream to selectively split it into a first part of the stream of make-up gas and a second part of the stream of make-up gas, subjecting the first part to water separation, and then mixing the first part with the second part to obtain a reducing stream to be sent to direct reduced iron production.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing direct reduced iron using a pre-treated make-up gas as a reducing agent in a direct reduced iron reactor are provided. The method involves pre-treating a stream of make-up gas containing heavy hydrocarbons by subjecting the stream to low temperature adiabatic reforming at a temperature between 300° C. and 600° C., prior to using the stream of make-up gas as a reducing agent for producing direct reduced iron. The method also involves adjusting the humidity content of the stream of make-up gas after the low temperature adiabatic reforming by bypassing the stream to selectively split it into a first part of the stream of make-up gas and a second part of the stream of make-up gas, subjecting the first part to water separation, and then mixing the first part with the second part to obtain a reducing stream to be sent to direct reduced iron production.

Abstract: A container with lower vibrations, such as quaking and shaking as well as noise effects, known also as hooting, honking or howling, and an effective and cost-competitive method and device to decrease such phenomena during the discharge of granular material particles from silos, hoppers, bins, reactors and in general containers for storing or processing such granular material particles. The container includes at least one baffle that is attached to the container wall, in the lower portion or at the bottom of the tapered discharge part of said container, protruding towards the central axis of its tapered discharge part. The baffle forms a stagnant zone in the bed of the granular material particles in contact with the container wall whereby the particles in that zone flow under the friction against other particles instead of the friction between the particles and the wall.

Abstract: A direct reduction process producing DRI from iron oxide particles by reduction at a about 750° C. with a reducing gas mainly H2 and CO, that also includes CO2, H20, and methane, a the reduction reactor and the top gas effluent from the reduction reaction after cooling/scrubbing is split. The resulting first top gas portion with a first hydrocarbon-containing make-up gas passes through a catalytic reformer yielding an improved hot reducing gas first effluent. The second top gas portion passes through a CO2 removal unit and then with the second hydrocarbon-containing make-up gas passes through a heater yielding a hot CO2-lean recycle reducing gas second effluent. The first and second effluents are fed to the reducing zone of the reduction reactor as the reducing gas reactant. The flow rate of at least the second of the two make-up gases is regulated to control the carbon content of the DRI produced.

Abstract: Direct reduction process and plant for producing DRI comprising a reduction reactor and at least one reducing gas heater typically comprising a convective heating section and a radiant heating section for raising the reducing gas temperature to a level adequate for iron oxides reduction to metallic iron, typically above 850° C., wherein the reducing gas fed to the reduction reactor comprises a stream of reducing gas recycled from the reduction reactor and a make-up stream of coke oven gas containing carbon compounds which may form carbon deposits in the heating path of said heater, namely BTX and other complex carbon compounds. The heater is provided with means for feeding oxidizing agents, for example steam, steam and air and/or oxygen at predetermined heating tubes successively for eliminating the carbon deposits which may form inside the heating tubes of said heater without interrupting the operation of the plant.

Abstract: Method and apparatus to determine the skin-temperature of heat-exchange tubes and to prevent overheating of the heat-exchange tubes in a process gas heater (where extreme conditions prevent obtaining sufficiently-accurate direct thermocouple or pyrometric measurement to reliably prevent such overheating) by calculating the maximum skin temperature of heat-exchange tubes using preferably real-time calculation of the overall heat flux through the walls of the heat-exchange tubes with preferably real-time values of gas composition and gas temperature at the inlet and at the outlet of the tubes to calculate the overall transferred heat; and by periodically measuring the temperature of the gas flowing through each of the heat-exchange tubes, and using the measured gas temperatures for calculating the skin-temperature of all tubes, or of a tube selected for the highest gas temperature using the equation: Q = 2 ? ? ? ? L ? ( Ts - Tg ) / ( ln ? ro ri Km ) .

Abstract: A winter tyre with improved traction on snow surfaces; the tyre has a tread with a raised pattern defined by a number of longitudinal and transverse grooves which form at least one longitudinal row of blocks projecting radially from a base surface of the tread. Each block has two longitudinal lateral surfaces bounding two corresponding longitudinal grooves, and two transverse lateral surfaces bounding two corresponding transverse grooves. At least one of the blocks has lateral channels, each of which is formed on the lateral surface of a corresponding block, extends from the base surface of the tread to a top surface of the block, and is designed to impede radial spin-out of snow trapped inside the lateral channel.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and an apparatus for producing DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) utilizing a high-oxidation reducing gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, derived directly or indirectly from the gasification of hydrocarbons or coal, with a high content of oxidants (H2O and CO2). The invention provides a more efficient method and plant comprising a reactor in which particulate material of iron ore comes into contact with a high temperature reducing gas to produce DRI, with lower investment and operating costs, avoiding the need for a fired heater for the reducing gas fed into the reduction reactor. The reducing gas is heated to a temperature above 700° C. in two steps, a first step at a temperature below about 400° C.

Abstract: A direct reduction process producing DRI from iron oxide particles by reduction at a about 750° C. with a reducing gas mainly H2 and CO, that also includes CO2, H20, and methane, a the reduction reactor and the top gas effluent from the reduction reaction after cooling/scrubbing is split. The resulting first top gas portion with a first hydrocarbon-containing make-up gas passes through a catalytic reformer yielding an improved hot reducing gas first effluent. The second top gas portion passes through a CO2 removal unit and then with the second hydrocarbon-containing make-up gas passes through a heater yielding a hot CO2-lean recycle reducing gas second effluent. The first and second effluents are fed to the reducing zone of the reduction reactor as the reducing gas reactant. The flow rate of at least the second of the two make-up gases is regulated to control the carbon content of the DRI produced.

Abstract: A winter tire with improved traction on snow surfaces; the tire has a tread with a raised pattern defined by a number of longitudinal and transverse grooves which form at least one longitudinal row of blocks projecting radially from a base surface of the tread. Each block has two longitudinal lateral surfaces bounding two corresponding longitudinal grooves, and two transverse lateral surfaces bounding two corresponding transverse grooves. At least one of the blocks has lateral channels, each of which is formed on the lateral surface of a corresponding block, extends from the base surface of the tread to a top surface of the block, and is designed to impede radial spin-out of snow trapped inside the lateral channel.

Abstract: A winter tyre with improved traction on snow surfaces; the tyre has a tread with a raised pattern defined by a number of longitudinal and transverse grooves which form at least one longitudinal row of blocks projecting radially from a base surface of the tread. Each block has two longitudinal lateral surfaces bounding two corresponding longitudinal grooves, and two transverse lateral surfaces bounding two corresponding transverse grooves. At least one of the blocks has lateral channels, each of which is formed on the lateral surface of a corresponding block, extends from the base surface of the tread to a top surface of the block, and is designed to impede radial spin-out of snow trapped inside the lateral channel.

Abstract: Direct reduction process and plant for producing DRI comprising a reduction reactor and at least one reducing gas heater typically comprising a convective heating section and a radiant heating section for raising the reducing gas temperature to a level adequate for iron oxides reduction to metallic iron, typically above 850° C., wherein the reducing gas fed to the reduction reactor comprises a stream of reducing gas recycled from the reduction reactor and a make-up stream of coke oven gas containing carbon compounds which may form carbon deposits in the heating path of said heater, namely BTX and other complex carbon compounds. The heater is provided with means for feeding oxidizing agents, for example steam, steam and air and/or oxygen at predetermined heating tubes successively for eliminating the carbon deposits which may form inside the heating tubes of said heater without interrupting the operation of the plant.

Abstract: An integrated steelmaking plant for merging continuous operation of a reduction reactor producing hot DRI with the batch operation of a DRI melting furnace(s). The reactor produces hot DRI for a DRI melting furnace or cold DRI continuously even when the DRI production exceeds the DRI consumption rate of the furnace or suffers long-term operational delays. The reduction reactor has a DRI cooling zone therein which is selectively operable for cooling DRI when the hot DRI produced in the reactor can't all be consumed by the DRI melting furnace and when the capacity of the DRI bin feeding the melting furnace is insufficient to accumulate additional hot DRI. No separate DRI cooling vessel plus its gas compressor and gas cooling-cleaning system is needed, thus decreasing capital and operational costs. This also permits a flexible and modular construction and operation of a steelmaking plant with high or low pressure reduction reactors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pharmaceutical composition containing nemorubicin hydrochloride incorporated in microspheres. The compositions are useful for chemoembolization, particularly for loco regional treatment of tumors.

Abstract: Production method and apparatus for direct reduced iron (DRI), a.k.a sponge iron, by contacting iron oxides with recycled and regenerated hot reducing gases containing H2 & CO2. This invention decreases uncontained emission of CO2 to the atmosphere from combustion of carbon-bearing fuels in the reducing-gas heater by substituting, at least partially, a gas mainly comprising hydrogen in lieu of the usual carbon-bearing fuels. The hydrogen fuel stream, depleted of CO2 by means of a physical gas separation unit (which can be a PSA/VPSA type adsorption unit, a gas separation membrane unit or a combination of both such units) is derived from at least a portion of regenerated reducing gases being recycled to the reduction reactor. The derived hydrogen fuel stream is combusted in the reducing gas heater and/or other thermal equipment in the reduction plant, thus decreasing the CO2 emissions directly to the atmosphere.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and an apparatus for producing DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) utilizing a high-oxidation reducing gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, derived directly or indirectly from the gasification of hydrocarbons or coal, with a high content of oxidants (H2O and CO2). The invention provides a more efficient method and plant comprising a reactor in which particulate material of iron ore comes into contact with a high temperature reducing gas to produce DRI, with lower investment and operating costs, avoiding the need for a fired heater for the reducing gas fed into the reduction reactor. The reducing gas is heated to a temperature above 700° C. in two steps, a first step at a temperature below about 400° C.

Abstract: A winter tyre with improved traction on snow surfaces; the tyre has a tread with a raised pattern defined by a number of longitudinal and transverse grooves which form at least one longitudinal row of blocks projecting radially from a base surface of the tread. Each block has two longitudinal lateral surfaces bounding two corresponding longitudinal grooves, and two transverse lateral surfaces bounding two corresponding transverse grooves. At least one of the blocks has lateral channels, each of which is formed on the lateral surface of a corresponding block, extends from the base surface of the tread to a top surface of the block, and is designed to impede radial spin-out of snow trapped inside the lateral channel.

Abstract: An integrated steelmaking plant design is disclosed for efficiently merging the continuous operation of a reduction reactor producing hot DRI with the batch operation of at least one DRI melting furnace. The direct reduction reactor is adapted for producing hot DRI for its consumption in a DRI melting furnace or for producing cold DRI when the continuous production of DRI will exceed the DRI consumption rate of the melting furnace or when it suffers long-term operational delays. The reduction reactor has a DRI cooling zone within the same reactor vessel which is selectively operable for cooling the DRI in the same reactor vessel when the hot DRI produced in said reactor will not be consumed by the DRI melting furnace and when the capacity of the hot DRI bin feeding the melting furnace is insufficient to accumulate the amount of hot DRI which will not be consumed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing direct reduced iron (DRI), also known as sponge iron, by means of direct contact of iron oxides with a stream of recycled and regenerated hot reducing gases containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The invention provides a way for decreasing the uncontained emission of CO2 to the atmosphere produced by combustion of carbon-bearing fuels in the reducing gas heater by substituting, at least partially, a gas stream mainly composed of hydrogen in lieu of the usual carbon-bearing fuels. The hydrogen fuel stream, depleted of CO2 by means of a physical gas separation unit (which can be a PSA/VPSA type adsorption unit, a gas separation membrane unit or combination of PSA/VPSA unit and a gas separation membrane unit) is derived from at least a portion of a stream of regenerated reducing gases being recycled to the reduction reactor.