Abstract: A direct reduction process for a metalliferous material includes supplying the metalliferous material, a solid carbonaceous material, an oxygen-containing gas, and a fluidizing gas into a fluidized bed in a vessel and maintaining the fluidized bed in the vessel, at least partially reducing metalliferous material in the vessel, and discharging a product stream that includes the partially reduced metalliferous material from the vessel. The process comprises (a) reducing the metalliferous material in a solid state in a metal-rich zone in the vessel; (b) injecting the oxygen-containing gas into a carbon-rich zone in the vessel with a downward flow in a range of ±40° to the vertical and generating heat by reactions between oxygen and the metalliferous material (including metallized material), the solid carbonaceous material and other oxidizable solids and gases in the fluidized bed, and (c) transferring heat from the carbon-rich zone to the metal-rich zone by movement of solids within the vessel.

Abstract: A plant for the heat treatment of solids containing iron oxide. The plant includes a reactor including a fluidized bed reactor. The reactor includes a gas supply system disposed in the reactor, a stationary annular fluidized bed which at least partly surrounds the gas supply system, and a mixing chamber. The gas supply system is configured so that gas flowing through the gas supply system entrains solids from the stationary annular fluidized bed into the mixing chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing a metalliferous material in a fluidized bed includes a vessel for containing the fluidized bed, a mechanism for supplying the metalliferous material, a solid carbonaceous material, an oxygen-containing gas, and a fluidizing gas into the vessel for forming the fluidized bed in the vessel. The oxygen-containing gas supply mechanism includes one or more than one oxygen-containing gas injection lance having a lance tip with an outlet that is positioned for injecting the oxygen-containing gas in a downward flow into the vessel within a range of plus or minus 40° to the vertical.

Abstract: A process for at least one of a chemical and a physical treatment of fluidizable substances in a reactor. The process includes introducing a hot gas into an interior of the reactor through a gas supply tube and cooling at least one of the hot gas and the gas supply tube with a coolant. The cooling is performed by contacting the hot gas with the coolant so as to provide a temperature of a wall of the gas supply tube at least 50° C. lower than a temperature of the gas at an inlet of the gas supply tube facing away from the interior of the reactor.

Abstract: A process for the production and/or treatment of at least one metal in a reactor includes discharging a waste gas stream via a waste gas conduit and after-treating the waste gas stream by supplying a cooling gas and/or a cooling gas mixture. The after-treating includes injecting the cooling gas and/or cooling gas mixture into the waste gas conduit on a side of the waste gas conduit facing the reactor, at a high velocity and substantially tangentially with respect to a main flow direction of the waste gas. A volume of the cooling gas and/or the cooling gas mixture injected into the waste gas conduit is adjusted so as to reduce a mixing temperature below a melting temperature of the molten particles and/or a condensation temperature of the vaporous constituents of the waste gas stream.

Abstract: A process for refining raw materials containing oil and/or bitumen includes supplying the raw materials to a reactor. The reactor is operated under a pressure of from 0.001 to 1 bar and at a reactor temperature of from 300 to 1000° C. so as to volatize fuel gases and obtain solids and non-evaporated fractions of heavy hydrocarbons. The solids and non-evaporated fractions of heavy hydrocarbons are introduced into a furnace. The non-evaporated fractions of heavy hydrocarbons are burned in the furnace at a furnace temperature of from 600 to 1500° C. so as to obtain hot solids in the furnace. The hot solids are recirculated from the furnace into the reactor. An oxidizing atmosphere of the furnace is separated from an atmosphere of the reactor by a sealing device.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing a metalliferous material in a fluidized bed includes a vessel for containing the fluidized bed, a mechanism for supplying the metalliferous material, a solid carbonaceous material, an oxygen-containing gas, and a fluidizing gas into the vessel for forming the fluidized bed in the vessel. The oxygen-containing gas supply mechanism includes one or more than one oxygen-containing gas injection lance having a lance tip with an outlet that is positioned for injecting the oxygen-containing gas in a downward flow into the vessel within a range of plus or minus 40° to the vertical.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing a metalliferous material in a fluidized bed includes a vessel for containing the fluidized bed, a mechanism for supplying the metalliferous material, a solid carbonaceous material, an oxygen-containing gas, and a fluidizing gas into the vessel for forming the fluidized bed in the vessel. The oxygen-containing gas supply mechanism includes one or more than one oxygen-containing gas injection lance having a lance tip with an outlet that is positioned for injecting the oxygen-containing gas in a downward flow into the vessel within a range of plus or minus 40° to the vertical.

Abstract: A method for producing char and fuel gas includes degasifying a carbonaceous material with oxygen-containing gases in a fluidized bed reactor at a temperature of more than about 1000° C. and at a pressure of from about 1 bar to about 40 bar. A supply of oxygen within the fluidized bed reactor is adjusted so as to recover more than 60% of fixed carbon in the carbonaceous material in a char product, and an oxygen availability in a lower or bottom region of the fluidized bed reactor is less than 80% of an oxygen availability in an upper region of the fluidized bed reactor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a plant for producing low 15 temperature coke, in which granular coal and possibly further solids are heated to a temperature of 700 to 1050° C. in a fluidized-bed reactor (2) by means of an oxygen-containing gas. To improve the utilization of energy it is proposed to introduce a first gas or gas mixture from below through at least one gas supply tube (3) into a mixing chamber region (8) of the reactor (2), the gas supply tube (3) being at least partly surrounded by a stationary annular fluidized bed (6) which is fluidized by supplying fluidizing gas. The gas velocities of the first gas or gas mixture and of the fluidizing gas for the annular fluidized bed (6) are adjusted such that the Particle-Froude-Numbers in the gas supply tube (3) are between 1 and 100, in the annular fluidized bed (6) between 0.02 and 2 and in the 25 mixing chamber (8) between 0.3 and 30.

Abstract: A direct reduction process for a solid metalliferous material having a particle size distribution that at least in part contains micron sized particles includes supplying the metalliferous material, a solid carbonaceous material, an oxygen-containing gas, and a fluidizing gas into a fluidized bed in a vessel and maintaining the fluidized bed in the vessel, at least partially reducing metalliferous material in the vessel, and discharging a product stream that comprises the partially reduced metalliferous material from the vessel. The process includes (a) establishing and maintaining a carbon-rich zone within the fluidized bed; (b) passing metalliferous material, including metallized material (which term includes partially metallized material), through the carbon-rich zone; and (c) injecting the oxygen-containing gas into the carbon-rich zone and oxidizing metallized material, solid carbonaceous material and other oxidizable solids and gases and causing controlled agglomeration of particles.

Abstract: A method for forming an integrated circuit having openings in a mold layer and for producing capacitors is disclosed. In one embodiment, nanotubes or nanowires are grown vertically on a horizontal substrate surface. The nanotubes or nanowires serve as a template for forming openings in a mold layer. The substrate is covered with a mold material after the formation of the nanowires or nanotubes. One embodiment provides mold layers having openings with a much higher aspect ratio.

Abstract: A direct smelting plant for producing molten metal from metalliferous feed material includes a pretreatment unit for pretreating metalliferous feed material and producing pretreated feed material, a direct smelting vessel for smelting pretreated metalliferous feed material to molten metal and a hot feed material transfer apparatus for transferring pretreated metalliferous feed material from the pretreatment unit to a solids delivery device of the direct smelting vessel. The transfer apparatus includes a hot feed material storage device, a hot feed material transfer line, device for unblocking the hot feed material transfer line and a pressurising device. The hot feed material transfer apparatus includes a device for returning pretreated metalliferous feed material to the pretreatment unit.

Abstract: A plant for the heat treatment of solids containing iron oxide. The plant includes a reactor including a fluidized bed reactor. The reactor includes a gas supply system disposed in the reactor, a stationary annular fluidized bed which at least partly surrounds the gas supply system, and a mixing chamber. The gas supply system is configured so that gas flowing through the gas supply system entrains solids from the stationary annular fluidized bed into the mixing chamber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a plant for the heat treatment of solids containing iron oxide, in which fine-grained solids are heated to a temperature of 700 to 1150° C. in a fluidized bed reactor (8). To improve the utilization of energy, it is proposed to introduce a first gas or gas mixture from below through at least one gas supply tube (9) into a mixing chamber region (15) of the reactor (8), the gas supply tube (9) being at least partly surrounded by a stationary annular fluidized bed (12) which is fluidized by supplying fluidizing gas. The gas velocities of the first gas or gas mixture and of the fluidizing gas for the annular fluidized bed (12) are adjusted such that the Particle-Froude-Numbers in the gas supply tube (9) are between 1 and 100, in the annular fluidized bed (12) between 0.02 and 2, and in the mixing chamber (15) between 0.3 and 30.

Abstract: A direct reduction process for a metalliferous material includes supplying a solid carbonaceous material and an oxygen-containing gas into a fluidized bed in a first vessel and generating heat by reactions between the oxygen-containing gas and the solid carbonaceous material and any other oxidizable solids and gases in the fluidized bed and discharging a hot off-gas stream containing entrained solids. The process also includes supplying the metalliferous material to a fluidized bed in a second vessel and supplying the hot off-gas stream containing entrained solids from the first vessel to the fluidized bed in the second vessel and partially reducing the metalliferous feed material in the solid state in the fluidized bed and discharging a product stream of partially reduced metalliferous material and an off-gas stream containing entrained solids.

Abstract: A direct reduction process for a solid metalliferous material having a particle size distribution that at least in part contains micron sized particles includes supplying the metalliferous material, a solid carbonaceous material, an oxygen-containing gas, and a fluidizing gas into a fluidized bed in a vessel and maintaining the fluidized bed in the vessel, at least partially reducing metalliferous material in the vessel, and discharging a product stream that comprises the partially reduced metalliferous material from the vessel. The process includes (a) establishing and maintaining a carbon-rich zone within the fluidized bed; (b) passing metalliferous material, including metallized material (which term includes partially metallized material), through the carbon-rich zone; and (c) injecting the oxygen-containing gas into the carbon-rich zone and oxidizing metallized material, solid carbonaceous material and other oxidizable solids and gases and causing controlled agglomeration of particles.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing a metalliferous material in a fluidized bed includes a vessel for containing the fluidized bed, a mechanism for supplying the metalliferous material, a solid carbonaceous material, an oxygen-containing gas, and a fluidizing gas into the vessel for forming the fluidized bed in the vessel. The oxygen-containing gas supply mechanism includes one or more than one oxygen-containing gas injection lance having a lance tip with an outlet that is positioned for injecting the oxygen-containing gas in a downward flow into the vessel within a range of plus or minus 40° to the vertical.

Abstract: A direct reduction process for a metalliferous material includes supplying the metalliferous material, a solid carbonaceous material, an oxygen-containing gas, and a fluidizing gas into a fluidized bed in a vessel and maintaining the fluidized bed in the vessel, at least partially reducing metalliferous material in the vessel, and discharging a product stream that includes the partially reduced metalliferous material from the vessel. The process comprises (a) reducing the metalliferous material in a solid state in a metal-rich zone in the vessel; (b) injecting the oxygen-containing gas into a carbon-rich zone in the vessel with a downward flow in a range of ±40° to the vertical and generating heat by reactions between oxygen and the metalliferous material (including metallized material), the solid carbonaceous material and other oxidizable solids and gases in the fluidized bed, and (c) transferring heat from the carbon-rich zone to the metal-rich zone by movement of solids within the vessel.

Abstract: A method for forming an integrated circuit having openings in a mold layer and for producing capacitors is disclosed. In one embodiment, nanotubes or nanowires are grown vertically on a horizontal substrate surface. The nanotubes or nanowires serve as a template for forming openings in a mold layer. The substrate is covered with a mold material after the formation of the nanowires or nanotubes. One embodiment provides mold layers having openings with a much higher aspect ratio.