Abstract: To improve operation, particularly to allow more universal use, in which both liquid and solid crude metal, especially iron can be refined in only one reactor vessel, a reactor vessel (1) is of converter-like design with a relatively large space above a melt (7) and with slag (8) lying above said melt. For the removal of slag (8) via a closable slag channel (18'), the meltdown apparatus can be rotated about a center of rotation (20) through .+-.8.degree.. For the complete removal of the melt (7) via a closable melt channel (17') in the bottom region of the meltdown apparatus, the latter can be rotated about a center of rotation (19) through .+-.30.sup.. A magnetic coil (16) fed with direct current and arranged around the meltdown apparatus (1) serves for the magnetic damping of movements of melt (7) and/or slag (8) inside the meltdown apparatus. In the converter mode, a graphite electrode (5) used in the arc mode is replaced by a gas supply conduit, through which oxygen is then supplied under pressure.

Abstract: A method and a device for improving the efficiency of slag-bath reactions, for example in connection with sulfur removal from steel melts, involves stirring the melt with at least one inductive stirrer in such a way that the stirring force includes both a horizontal and a vertical component.

Abstract: Pig iron is tapped from a blast furnace into a torpedo in which the iron has a treating agent introduced to it while the iron is electromagnetically stirred lengthwise in the torpedo to uniformly distribute the agent throughout the iron while reducing the tendency for skulling in the torpedo.