Multiple chamber material-stirring lance and method

A multiple chamber material-stirring lance (40) for use in a ladle (2) containing a quantity of hot metal (6), the multiple chamber material-stirring lance comprising:

• a gas chamber (48) having a first end and a terminal end, and a length between the first end and the terminal end;
• a gas connection pipe (44) at the first end;
• at least one lower port (52) formed into the length and leading out of the terminal end of the gas chamber (48) to an exterior of the multiple chamber material-stirring lance (40);
• a material chamber (43) having at a first end a material connection pipe (42) and at a second end terminating in at least one material discharge port (60);
• and
• a refractory coating (46) encasing both the gas chamber and the material chamber so as to form a single lance body;
• wherein the material chamber (43) is parallel to the gas chamber (48);
• wherein the lower ports (52) are gas permeable structures that restrict and regulate a flow of gas out of the gas chamber;
• and
• wherein the gas permeable structures are configured such that the flow of gas introduced into the gas chamber and emitted through the gas permeable structures is emitted into the quantity of hot metal as a plurality of bubbles smaller than a plurality of bubbles emitted from a gas permeable structure that does not restrict nor regulate the flow of gas out of the gas chamber.