Abstract: A process for continuously melting steel from largely already reduced iron containing material such as pig iron and/or scrap iron, in which process the melt is poured into a ladle for performing subsequent metallurgical steps. The metallurgical slag is, by adding flux, adjusted to20-77.2% FeO, preferably 25.7-50% FeO10-30% SiO.sub.22-15% Al.sub.2 O.sub.35-20% MgO0.13-6.45% MnO, perferably 0.5-5% MnO1-10% CaO0.1-5% Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3P+S traces.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for fabricating clad ingots or clad slabs includes a hollow body which corresponds to the dimensions of a finished slab and which has at least one side plate of cladding material and other thinner side sheets forming an upright tubular hollow body which is inserted into a larger ingot mold. Refractory insulating material is disposed between the bottom end of the hollow body and the bottom wall of the mold and between the sides of the hollow body and the sides of the mold, the hollow body being subsequently charged with a molten base metal. Prior to inserting the hollow body into the mold, the bottom end thereof is sealed closed by a bottom wall and a cover plate is placed on the top end of the hollow body.

Abstract: A charge is admitted into a shaft furnace so as to form a charge column therein. The lower end of the column is melted with a flame and the charge moves downwardly by gravity as melting proceeds. The flame is generated by admitting one or more streams of oxygen and one or more streams of fuel into the furnace. A stream of oxygen and a stream of fuel are admitted into the furnace as a pair and in such a manner that the respective oxygen stream is surrounded by the respective fuel stream. This procedure provides the result that the fuel entering the furnace withdraws so much heat from the surroundings that water-cooling of the burners may be eliminated. Moreover, the withdrawal of heat from the surroundings serves to cool the furnace wall in the regions of the burners sufficiently for molten material flowing on the furnace wall in these regions to solidify. Consequently, protuberances are formed on the furnace wall.

Abstract: Iron-containing materials are loaded into the top of a shaft furnace to form therein an upright column of the materials. A burner forms a flame above the floor of the furnace to heat the base of the column and thereby melt the materials at the base of the column into a liquefied-iron melt on the floor of the furnace and a layer of slag on the melt. In addition this flame formed by the burner forms a deposit in the furnace on which the column is supported. Slag is continuously withdrawn from the furnace at a location substantially level with the deposit and the melt is withdrawn from the furnace at a location below the layer of slag and is heated as it is withdrawn. This melt is withdrawn through an iron-drain conduit having an outlet end vertically positioned to be horizontally even with the lower surface of the slag and a refining vessel working inductively or by means of an electric arc may be provided in this outlet conduit for the continuous transformation of the liquefied iron into steel.

Abstract: Iron-containing materials are loaded into the top of a shaft furnace to form therein an upright column of the materials. A burner forms a flame above the floor of the furnace to heat the base of the column and thereby melt the materials at the base of the column into a liquefied-iron melt on the floor of the furnace and a layer of slag on the melt. In addition this flame formed by the burner forms a deposit in the furnace on which the column is supported. Slag is continuously withdrawn from the furnace at a location substantially level with the deposit and the melt is withdrawn from the furnace at a location below the layer of slag and is heated as it is withdrawn. This melt is withdrawn through an iron-drain conduit having an outlet end vertically positioned to be horizontally even with the lower surface of the slag and a refining vessel working inductively or by means of an electric arc may be provided in this outlet conduit for the continuous transformation of the liquefied iron into steel.

Abstract: A suspension of a particulate material in a carrier medium is introduced into a molten bath through a lance which has an inlet port, an outlet port and a passage communicating the inlet port with the outlet port. The flow-through cross-sectional area of the outlet port is smaller than the flow-through cross-sectional area of the passage so that the speed of flow of the suspension through the outlet port is higher than the speed of flow of the suspension through the passage and penetration of the molten bath into the outlet port is thereby prevented. The supension is introduced into the inlet port through a conduit having a smaller flow-through cross-sectional area than the passage so that the pulsations of the solution which occur in the conduit are damped in the passage. A duct may introduce pressurized medium into the region of the outlet port to thereby loosen the particulate material accumulated in the region of the outlet port.

Abstract: A charge consisting of scrap, sponge iron, pellets and the like is admitted into a vertically arranged melting chamber so as to form a column therein. A burner lance generates a flame which melts the column from below so as to produce a melt and an FeO slag. A transportable and tiltable vessel is provided beneath the melting chamber and contains a quantity of pig iron. The melting chamber has an opening at the bottom thereof through which the melt and the slag flow into the vessel to form a mixture containing between 30 and 60 percent by weight of pig iron. Alloying elements and cooling agents are added to the mixture and the resulting molten mass is then at least partially refined in the vessel by blowing with oxygen. During the blowing operation, reaction of the slag and the pig iron occurs and a pourable steel having a desired composition is thereby obtained.

Abstract: A charge consisting of scrap, sponge iron, pellets and the like is admitted into a vertically arranged melting chamber and forms a column therein. The leading end of the column is melted with an annular flame generated by means of an annular burner or a plurality of burners arranged circumferentially of the melting chamber. In this manner, a downwardly extending projection is formed within the confines of the periphery of the leading end of the column and this bears against the bottom of the melting chamber thereby supporting the column. An outlet for the molten material is provided in the bottom of the chamber and this is surrounded by a projection extending upwardly from the bottom of the chamber. The latter projection is effective for permitting the molten material to remain on the bottom of the chamber for a short period prior to its outflow from the chamber so that the molten material is superheated by the flame.

Abstract: Iron ore is continuously converted to steel by introducing the ore into a shaft furnace of substantially equal cross-sectional width and thus forming a column of the charge therein; introducing a reducing gas into the furnace and exposing the bottom portion of the charge column from below to the heat of an electric arc the source of which is centrally disposed in the bottom of the furnace and thus causing the gradual super-heating and melting of the bottom portion of the charge so as to form a dome-shaped cavity at the bottom of the charge column while the column gradually moves downward under the force of gravity and collecting and tapping the formed molten steel at the bottom of the furnace.