Method and device for producing direct reduced, carburized metal

A system for producing direct reduced metal material, comprising

• a closed furnace space arranged to receive charged metal material to be reduced;
• an atmosphere evacuation means arranged to evacuate an existing atmosphere from the furnace space so as to achieve a gas pressure of less than 1 bar inside the furnace space;
• a heat and hydrogen provision means arranged to provide heat and hydrogen gas to the furnace space;
• a control device arranged to control the heat and hydrogen provision means so that heated hydrogen gas heats the charged metal material to a temperature high enough so that metal oxides present in the metal material are reduced, in turn causing water vapour to be formed, which provision of hydrogen gas is performed so that a pressure of more than 1 bar builds up inside the furnace space;
• and
• a cooling and collecting means arranged below the charged metal material, arranged to condense and collect the water vapour before an evacuation of gases from the furnace space back to atmospheric pressure, and
• a carbon-containing gas provision means arranged to provide a carbon-containing gas to the furnace space, and wherein the control device is arranged to control the carbon-containing gas provision means to provide carbon-containing gas before an evacuation of gases from the furnace space back to atmospheric pressure, so that the heated and reduced metal material is carburized by said carbon-containing gas.