Abstract: A method of producing briquettes for use in steelmaking processes in a melting vessel. Prior to the briquetting step, the residues should have added thereto essentially uniformly distributed carbon carriers, the amount of carbon carriers added corresponding precisely to the amount required for causing an essentially complete reduction of the iron-oxide containing residues. The residues obtained as byproducts in a smelting plant can thus be reused to a high degree by adding them to a steelmaking process. A residue briquette can be supplied to the melting vessel in an amount of up to 30%. This permits the use of residues instead of scrap.

Abstract: Sponge iron particles obtained in a reduction unit are, subsequently, subjected to a hot-briquetting process and supplied to the refining vessel in a condition in which they are still hot from the hot-briquetting process. By means of this measure, the amount of energy consumed in the steel making process is reduced. The transport of the sponge iron briquettes from the hot-briquetting unit to the refining vessel can preferably be carried out in heat-insulated buckets. Possible heat losses which may perhaps still occur can be compensated for by a preheater preceding the refining vessel. For this purpose, the hot sponge iron briquettes are filled into the preheater, where they will then be heated by the hot waste gases originating from the refining vessel. In addition, this process offers a solution for the smooth transition from the continuous production of sponge iron briquettes to the discontinuous refining process.

Abstract: Tubes, rods, etc., are heated electrically in that current is applied via movable electrodes, one of which tracks the front and another one tracks the rear ends, but the electrodes remain spaced-apart during most of the heating.