Jacketed rotary converter and PGM converting process

A rotary converter comprising:

• an inclined converter pot mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis,
• a refractory lining in the pot for holding a molten alloy pool;
• an opening in a top of the pot to introduce a converter feed into the pot with the alloy pool;
• a lance for injecting oxygen-containing gas into the alloy pool,
• a heat transfer jacket for the pot adjacent the refractory lining;
• a coolant system to circulate a heat transfer medium through the jacket to remove heat from the alloy pool in thermal communication with the refractory lining;
• a shaft and a motor to drive the rotation of the pot;
• and
• a rotary coupling to supply and return the heat transfer medium through the shaft to and from the jacket.

A rotary converter, comprising:

• an inclined converter pot mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis,
• a refractory lining in the pot for holding a molten alloy pool;
• an opening in a top of the pot to introduce a converter feed into the pot with the alloy pool;
• a lance for injecting oxygen-containing gas into the alloy pool,
• a heat transfer jacket for the pot adjacent the refractory lining;
• a coolant system to circulate a heat transfer medium through the jacket to remove heat from the alloy pool in thermal communication with the refractory lining;
• and
• radially spaced temperature sensors mounted in the refractory lining in communication with one or more transmitters to transmit signals containing temperature sensing information to a receiver.