Abstract: The invention relates to various energy saving measures for use in the smelting, refining and melting of metals, and in particular in the manufacture of steels, alloy steels and ferrous alloys. In such processes fuel consumption is reduced and efficiency improved by using in the oxy-fuel or air-fuel burner a fuel (referred to as an "X-type" fuel) which has an exothermic heat of decomposition or which has only a zero or a very small endothermic heat of decomposition.The invention also relates to an oxy-fuel or air-fuel burner for use in a metallurgical process using an X-type fuel, which burner uses as coolant for the burner walls and tip the fuel used in the burner.

Abstract: The invention relates to various energy saving measures for use in the smelting, refining and melting of metals, and in particular in the manufacture of steels, alloy steels and ferrous alloys. In such processes fuel consumption is reduced and efficiency improved by using in the oxy-fuel or air-fuel burner a fuel (referred to as an "X-type" fuel) which has an exothermic heat of decomposition or which has only a zero or a very small endothermic heat of decomposition.The invention also relates to an oxy-fuel or air-fuel burner for use in a metallurgical process using an X-type fuel, which burner uses as coolant for the burner walls and tip the fuel used in the burner.

Abstract: The invention relates to various energy saving measures for use in the smelting, refining and melting of metals, and in particular in the manufacture of steels, alloy steels and ferrous alloys. In such processes fuel consumption is reduced and efficiency improved by using in the oxy-fuel or air-fuel burner a fuel (referred to as an "X-type" fuel) which has an exothermic heat of decomposition or which has only a zero or a very small endothermic heat of decomposition.The invention also relates to an oxy-fuel or air-fuel burner for use in a metallurgical process using an X-type fuel, which burner uses as coolant for the burner walls and tip the fuel used in the burner.

Abstract: This invention uses a dual basicity (DB) flux during the refining of steel which comprises the use of one or more flux components with high basicity/activity, for example sodium carbonate and/or barium oxide, with one or more normal fluxes having a lower basicity/activity such as calcium or magnesium oxides or dolomite. It has been found that it is only necessary to use a small percentage of the said high basicity fluxes in the total flux, for example 10%. The use of the said DB type of flux is particularly apt when the total amount of flux used is reduced to give a slag with a low Vee Ratio (CaO:SiO.sub.2), of the order of 1.0 to 2.0, and when magnesia is present in the slag formed preferably derived from an added lower basicity (MgO) flux component or partly from the furnace refractory lining.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon fuel is reacted with molecular oxygen in a burner to produce a gaseous mixture which is chemically reducing, the reactants being surrounded in the burner by a co-axial mantle of cooling gases produced by mixing a hydrocarbon with a gas containing carbon dioxide and/or water vapor. Reactants and cooling gas may subsequently be mixed to form the product gas which may be used in an iron ore reduction plant.