Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for extracting iron by direct reduction, characterized in that the device has a separate reduction chamber in which the carbon is gasified and the iron oxide is reduced in close proximity, and a separate combustion chamber in which surplus reduction gases are burned and heat energy is yielded. According to the invention, the hot combustion gasses pass on their heat energy to the reduction gasses in a heat exchanger, so that this energy is transferred to the reduction gases effectively. The reduction gasses are force-circulated through the heat exchanger and through the carbon/bed of ore for this purpose.

Abstract: An energy efficient, coal-based method and apparatus that are environmentally friendly which produce under pressure metallized/carbon product and molten metal directly from abundant coal or other carbonaceous material, and low cost fines (or ore concentrate) wherein the metal is devoid of gangue material and possesses the inherent advantage of retaining the heat for subsequent processing. This method and apparatus which are modular and highly integrated significantly reduce capital and operating costs; they also provide the capability selective placement of the reductant for the delivery of high levels of thermal energy input which leads to ease of desulflurization and high productivity. The technology herein disclosed is entirely closed and is applicable to various ores including ferrous and non-ferrous.

Abstract: A method for producing reduced iron in a layered furnace which includes several superimposed layers. Ore is continuously fed into the layered furnace, deposited on the uppermost layer, and gradually transferred to the lower layer. A reducing agent is deposited on the uppermost layer and/or layers thereunder and is reacted with the ore in order to form directly reduced iron. The directly reduced iron and reducing agent residues are discharged in the vicinity of the lowest layer of the furnace.

Abstract: When a mixture containing an iron oxide source and carbonaceous reducing agents is heated and reduced to manufacture metallic iron, carburizing and melting of solid metallic iron produced by heating and reducing are progressed efficiently so that metallic iron particles can be manufactured efficiently under high thermal energy efficiency.

Abstract: A method of upgrading relatively rich, fine-grained earthy hematite iron ores is provided. The iron ore, after suitable preparation, is reduced using a solid state reduction technique. As a result of the reduction process, the iron grains undergo size enhancement while the nonmetallic oxides are unreduced and remain as refractory oxide gangue. After completion of the reduction process, the enlarged malleable metallic iron grains are crushed in such a way as to cause the iron grains to fuse together, forming large, flat iron flakes. In order to achieve maximum flake size, the crushing system applies a relatively gradual pressing force rather than a rapid, impact type of force. As the large flakes are formed, the iron grains are liberated from the refractory oxide grains resulting in an increase in density. The crushing system causes non-iron oxide bonds to be broken, resulting in the formation of residual refractory particles generally with a grain size of less than 0.05 millimeters.

Abstract: In the method of producing reduced iron according to the invention, fine iron oxides and powdery solid reductants are mixed, compacted into sheet-like compacts, and charged onto the hearth of a reduction furnace for reduction while maintaining the temperature inside the furnace at not less than 1100° C. As the sheet-like compacts can be obtained by compacting mixture of raw material by use of rollers or the like, processing time is much shorter than the case of pelletization or agglomeration. A drying step is unnecessary since feeds are placed no the hearth via a feeder chute or the like. The method is carried out with ease by use of the facility according to the invention. High quality hot metal can be produced by charging reduced iron in hot condition obtained by the method described as above into a shaft furnace or a in-bath smelting furnace for melting at high thermal efficiency.

Abstract: A method of reducing the iron content of starting material containing calcium, silicon and oxygen, and iron in the form of a ferrite and/or oxide, for example a steel slag, includes the steps of heating the starting material to a temperature of at least 800° C. and preferably between 900° C. and 1150° C. inclusive, in the presence of a reductant such as carbon monoxide and in the presence of a siliceous material with which non-ferrous oxides released during the reduction form high melting point compounds, to produce a magnetic form of iron, and removing at least some of the magnetic form of iron to produce a product, which may be used as a raw material in the cement industry.

Abstract: With a solid fine reducing material containing hydrogen placed as a lower layer on a movable hearth, a powdered mixture of an oxide powder dominantly of a fine iron ore and a solid fine reducing material is stacked in layered arrangement, and subsequent reduction operation is performed.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing iron briquettes and/or cold iron sponge, in which charge materials (3) which contain lumpy material containing iron oxide are introduced into the reduction zone (2) of a reduction reactor (1), then a hot reduction gas introduced in a feed zone below the reduction zone flows through the charge materials, which are reduced to hot iron sponge which passes through a gas feed zone (8), which is downstream of the reduction zone (2). Reduction gas is introduced into the reduction reactor (1). After the gas has flowed through the reduction zone (2), it is extracted from the reduction reactor (1) as a top gas. To produce cold iron sponge, hot iron sponge is cooled by cooling gas in a cooling zone (10) downstream of the gas feed zone (8) and the sponge is discharged from the reactor (1) through a product-discharge zone (11) downstream of the cooling zone (10).

Abstract: This invention relates to making steel directly from ore concentrate and non-coking coal to which flux material is added. The method eliminates numerous steps by reducing the ore with the coal in a sealed chamber and under pressure termed “carbotreating” to make a fluxed iron/carbon product which after crushing, is injected while hot into a melting furnace. The hot product is melted with oxygen under reducing conditions using excess carbon from the coal to make a carburized molten iron and a slag low in FeO termed “oxymelting”. After the tapping of the slag, the carburized molten iron to which flux material is added, is blown with oxygen to make steel, CO, and a slag high in FeO termed “decarburizing”. The steel is tapped while the slag is retained in the furnace. All of the above steps are carried out in an efficient and environmentally sound manner which render the art of steelmaking significantly more economical than conventionally practiced.

Abstract: Iron oxide agglomerates incorporated with the carbonaceous material having a particle size within a range of about 10 to 30 nm are prepared upon production of reduced iron agglomerates. Then, the iron oxides agglomerates incorporated with the carbonaceous material were laid thinly at a laying density of less than 1.4 kg/m.sup.2 /mm or lower on a hearth of a moving hearth furnace. Subsequently, the iron oxide agglomerates are heated rapidly such that the surface temperature of the iron oxide agglomerates reaches 1200.degree. C. or higher within one-third of the retention period of time of the iron oxide agglomerates in the moving hearth furnace. Then, the iron oxide agglomerates are reduced till the metallization ratio thereof reaches 85% or higher to form reduced iron agglomerates and then the reduced iron agglomerates are discharged out of the moving hearth furnace. With the procedures, reduced iron agglomerates of a high average quality can be obtained at a high productivity.

Abstract: A first, solid, carbon-containing fuel is gasified and iron is melted in a gasifier-melter. A first flow of resulting fuel gas is employed to form the iron in a vertical shaft furnace by direct reduction of iron ore. A second flow of resulting fuel gas is mixed with fuel gas produced by separately gasifying a second carbon-containing fuel in a second gasifier, in which no iron is melted and which supplies essentially no carbonaceous solid fuel to the first gasification stage. This mixing helps to dampen fluctuations in the flow rate of the second flow of the resulting fuel gas.

Abstract: A method of upgrading relatively rich, fine-grained earthy hematite iron ores is provided. The iron ore, after suitable preparation, is reduced using a solid state reduction technique. As a result of the reduction process, the iron grains undergo size enhancement while the nonmetallic oxides are unreduced and remain as refractory oxide gangue. After completion of the reduction process, the enlarged malleable metallic iron grains are crushed in such a way as to cause the iron grains to fuse together, forming large, flat iron flakes. In order to achieve maximum flake size, the crushing system applies a relatively gradual pressing force rather than a rapid, impact type of force. As the large flakes are formed, the iron grains are liberated from the refractory oxide grains resulting in an increase in density. The crushing system causes non-iron oxide bonds to be broken, resulting in the formation of residual refractory particles generally with a grain size of less than 0.05 millimeters.

Abstract: A method of making metallic iron in which a compact, containing iron oxide such as iron ore or the like and a carbonaceous reductant such as coal or the like, is used as material, and the iron oxide is reduced through the application of heat, thereby making metallic iron. In the course of this reduction, a shell composed of metallic iron is generated and grown on the surface of the compact, and slag aggregates inside the shell. This reduction continues until substantially no iron oxide is present within the metallic iron shell. Subsequently, heating is further performed to melt the metallic iron and slag. Molten metallic iron and molten slag are separated one from the other, thereby obtaining metallic iron with a relatively high metallization ratio.

Abstract: A process for producing titanium slag which is low in radioactivity wherein molten titanium slag, produced by smelting ilmenite in the presence of a reductant in a DC electric arc furnace, is separated from molten iron, boron in an amount which is less than 2.5% equivalent B.sub.2 O.sub.3 of the slag is blended with the molten slag which thereafter is allowed to cool to form a glassy phase which contains the bulk of the radioactive elements of the slag before being crushed to particles below about 1 mm, whereafter the radioactive elements are leached to leave a titanium slag product which is low in radioactivity.

Abstract: A method of supplying both an oxygen steelmaking process and an ironmaking process with oxygen. The oxygen is separated from air by rectification of the air. A first stream of oxygen from the rectification to the steelmaking process. A second stream of oxygen is also supplied from the rectification to the ironmaking process. The first and second streams of oxygen are both withdrawn from essentially the same stage of the rectification and both contain from about 97 to about 98% by volume of oxygen and less than about 100 parts per million of nitrogen.

Abstract: Iron-rich material waste products, such as electric arc furnace dust, are formed with an organic binder into discrete shapes, such as briquettes and/or other solid shapes. The shapes can then be used in iron and steel making processes and the iron and heavy metal values in the waste product recovered.

Abstract: A desulfurization composition contains from about 3% to about 20% particulate metallic aluminum, about 5% to about 30% particulate alumina, about 0.5% to about 12% particulate hydrocarbon material or other gas generating composition and the balance lime plus impurities. Preferably aluminum dross is the source of aluminum and alumina. The desulfurization composition is injected into molten iron from a blast furnace preferably in an amount of 4 to 20 pounds desulfurizer per ton of hot metal. The desulfurizing composition can be injected as a blend or co-injected into the hot metal through a lance using a carrier gas or dumped into the hot metal as it is being poured into the ladle. At least for torpedo ladles, the desulfurization composition can be placed in the ladle before the hot metal is poured into it.

Abstract: This process comprises; mixing (1) the solid residues with a solid reducing agent; treating (2) the mixture in a furnace at a temperature above 1000.degree. C. to obtain (3) a vitrified product rendered poor in metals and an emission of gas enriched in metallic elements in a vapour phase; air quenching (4) the gases rich in metals; filtering (5) the products resulting from the air quenching to obtain secondary ashes rich in metallic salts; at the end of the filtering operation, washing the smoke (6) for discharging it to the atmosphere; and subjecting the secondary ashes rich in metallic salts to a treatment for producing a product rich in valuable metals (7 to 10).

Abstract: A three-stage process for obtaining metallic Cr units insitu during the production of stainless steel. Raw chromite ore or a concentrate produced from chromite ore is mixed with a carbonaceous reductant and slagging agents are added to an iron bath (24) for smelting and refining in a refining reactor (10). During the first stage, partially metallized chromite is smelted by carbon in the reactor that is top-and bottom-blown with oxygen and oxygen-containing gases respectively to produce a chromium alloy bath having a carbon content well below saturation. In the second stage, the alloy bath is decarburized by being bottom stirred with the oxygen-containing gas to the final bath carbon specification. In the third stage, the alloy bath is reduced by a metalloid reductant such as silicon or aluminum and again bottom stirred but with a non-oxidizing gas to achieve a high chromium yield.

Abstract: A process for beneficiating particulate titanium-bearing ore containing iron oxides is disclosed. The first step of the process entails prereducing the ore to convert about 20-90 percent of the iron oxides in the ore to metallic iron. Next, the prereduced ore is introduced into a mechanical reduction kiln and contacted with HCl and particulate carbonaceous reducing material. The turning and cascading of the materials in the kiln, in the presence of HCl and the reducing material, converts at least some remaining iron oxide in the ore to metallic iron and causes metallic iron to be liberated from the ore grains. Particulate metallic iron having a particle size of at least 50 microns is thereby formed. Finally, the particulate iron is separated from the ore.

Abstract: A process of manufacturing a sponge iron with low sulphur content by depositing a charge made up of superposed layers of finely divided material on a moving hearth, at least one of the layers being substantially made up of iron oxides and at least another of the layers being made up of a mix of a solid reducing agent containing carbon and a desulphurizing agent, heating the charge to cause at least partial gasification of the solid reducing agent containing carbon in the form of gaseous compounds of carbon and sulphur, reducing the iron oxides by at least part of carbon monoxide (CO) contained in the gaseous carbon compounds, fixing at least part of the sulphur of the gaseous sulphur compounds by the desulphurizing agent, and separating the reduced iron oxides from the material containing the residues of the solid reducing agent containing carbon and the desulphurizing agent.

Abstract: Iron-rich-material waste products, such as electric arc furnace dust, are formed with an organic binder into discrete shapes, such as briquettes. The shapes can then be used in iron and steel making processes and the iron and heavy metal values in the waste product recovered.

Abstract: A raw material for producing ferrite dust for friction elements and a method of producing reduced ferrite dust, capable of using, as the raw material, various collected sludge and dust which are by-products obtained at iron factories. The sludge has solid components consisting essentially of 35 to 50% total Fe, no more than 2% metallic Fe, 1.0 to 8.0% SiO.sub.2, 0.3 to 2.5% MgO, 1.0 to 6.0% CaO, 1.0 to 5.0% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, 20 to 40% fixed carbon, and 0.1 to 1.0% ZnO, said sludge having a grain size of 20 to 250 mesh, an apparent specific gravity of 1.2 to 2.0 g/cc, a real specific gravity of 3.3 to 4.3 g/cc, and a porosity of 40 to 65%. The collected dust consists essentially of 50 to 85% true Fe, 20 to 55% FeO, 30 to 55% Fe.sub.3 O.sub.4, 2 to 12% CaO, 1 to 5% SiO.sub.2, 1 to 3% MgO, 1 to 3% MnO, and no more than 1% fixed carbon, 50 to 85% total Fe, 2 to 12% CaO, 1 to 5% SiO.sub.2, 1 to 3% MgO, 1-3% MnO, and no more than 1% fixed carbon.

Abstract: A smelting process for blending hazardous and non-hazardous inorganic industrial wastes with carbon or aluminum reducing agents to simultaneously recover metal alloys (reducible metals), metal oxides (volatile reducible metals), carbon dioxide and man-made vitreous fiber (non reducible metals). Wastes including hazardous wastes of U.S. EPA Series D, F, P, K, and U are pulverized and blended with liquids such as water or waste water to produce a homogeneous mass. The mass is formed into briquettes and melted in a cupola or plasma arc furnace in the presence of carbon or aluminum to reduce metals. Other types of furnaces such as an electric arc furnace may be used to avoid the steps of forming and curing briquettes. Reduction is carried out at temperatures between 1660 and 3100 degrees Fahrenheit. Calcium flux from calcium-stabilized wastes enhances mineral wool quality, lowers the sulfur content of metals and raises pH to facilitate metal reduction. Reducible metals are reduced and drawn off into molds.

Abstract: The process for making a refined molten steel includes melting preheated solid iron sources and solid carbon sources in a melting vessel with heat generated by electric arc to form a carbon-containing molten material and then melting other preheated solid iron and carbon sources in the carbon-containing molten material by heat generated by combustion reaction in the melting vessel. In the combustion reaction oxygen is fed into the molten material through nozzles located in the melting vessel below the surface of the molten bath. The exhaust gases formed in the melting vessel are used to preheat the solid iron sources and then are burned in an afterburner to reduce pollution. An apparatus for performing the process is also described.

Abstract: An environmentally sound process is described for the remediation of waste materials and oxides of metals that allows the separation, recovery and decontamination of metals. The method includes chemically reducing essentially all of a reducible toxic and potentially hazardous metal oxide of a metal-containing composition. A metal-containing composition is directed into a molten bath, including a first reducing agent which, under the operating conditions of the molten bath, chemically reduces a first metal oxide of a metal in the metal-containing composition to form a bath-soluble transient second metal oxide. A second reducing agent is directed into the molten bath. The second reducing agent, under the operations of the molten-bath, chemically reduces the second metal oxide, provided that the second reducing agent has a Gibbs free energy lower than that of the second metal oxide.