Direct smelting process with full combustion

A process for smelting a metalliferous feed material to form a molten metal in a smelting apparatus, with the apparatus including a smelting vessel that is adapted to contain a bath of molten metal and slag and a smelt cyclone that is positioned above and communicates with the smelting vessel, and with the process including the steps of:

• (i) partially reducing and melting a metalliferous feed material in the smelt cyclone and allowing the molten partially reduced metalliferous feed material to flow downwardly into the vessel,
• (ii) supplying an oxygen-containing gas and a carbonaceous material to the vessel and smelting molten partially reduced metalliferous feed material in a bath of molten metal and slag in the vessel and forming molten metal that ultimately is discharged from the vessel and reaction products comprising solids and gases, that are projected upwardly from the molten bath,
• (iii) at least partially combusting combustible materials in the reaction products in a space in the vessel that is above the molten bath,
• (iv) supplying oxygen-containing gas to the smelt cyclone and further combusting combustible materials in the reaction products in the smelt cyclone,
• (v) discharging an offgas from the smelt cyclone into an offgas duct, the offgas including the reaction products, and
• (vi) supplying oxygen-containing gas into the offgas duct in an upstream, high temperature section of the offgas duct in the direction of movement of the offgas through the duct, so that there is combustion of the remaining combustible materials in the offgas while the offgas is sufficiently hot to ensure safe ignition and thereby avoid the need for any type of downstream burner-managed incineration device.