Direct smelting process
AssigneeTata Steel Limited
InventorsRodney James Dry, Jacques Pilote
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Abstract
A molten bath-based direct smelting process includes controlling the process conditions in a direct smelting vessel so that molten slag in a molten bath of metal and slag in the vessel has a viscosity in a range of 0.5-5 poise in an operating temperature range for the process.
Claims20
A direct smelting process that includes supplying (a) a metalliferous material (b) a solid carbonaceous feed material, and (c) an oxygen-containing gas into a direct smelting vessel containing a molten bath of metal and slag and direct smelting the metalliferous feed material in the vessel and producing process outputs of molten metal, molten slag, and an off-gas, and the process being characterised by controlling the process conditions, as described herein, so that the molten slag has a viscosity in a range of 0.5-5 poise in an operating temperature range for the process.
The process defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the metalliferous feed material is an iron-containing material, such as iron ore.
The process defined in any one of the preceding claims includes controlling the process conditions so that the molten slag has a high oxygen potential.
The process defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein when the metalliferous feed material is iron-containing material the process includes controlling the process conditions so that the FeO content of the molten slag is at least 3 wt. % so that the molten slag has a high oxygen potential.
The process defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein when the metalliferous feed material is iron-containing material the process includes controlling the process conditions so that the carbon content of the molten slag is at least 3 wt. %.
The process defined in any one of the preceding claims includes controlling the process conditions so that the viscosity of the molten slag is in the range of 0.5-4 poise.
The process defined in any one of the preceding claims includes controlling the process to produce substantial agitation of the molten bath.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.