Method of recovery of zinc and other metals from metallurgical fines

A method of recovering zinc oxide and other metal oxides from metallurgical fines, comprising:

• a. forming in an injection chamber a mixture of natural gas and oxygen and then igniting the mixture to form high temperature combustion gases of greater than 2000° C. with a high concentration of carbon monoxide;
• b. transporting the ignited high temperature combustion gases through a quiescent chamber surrounded by a cooling jacket and located below the injection chamber;
• c. transporting the ignited high temperature combustion gases from the quiescent chamber to a feed chamber surrounded by a cooling jacket and located below the quiescent chamber;
• d. forming in the feed chamber a mixture of the ignited high temperature combustion gases with injected finely divided material including EAF dust;
• e. transporting the mixture of the ignited high temperature combustion gases with injected finely divided material including EAF dust to a reaction chamber surrounded by a cooling jacket, wherein carbon monoxide in the ignited high temperature combustion gases react with metal compounds in the finely divided material forming zinc vapor and other metal vapors and molten slag particles;
• f. transporting said mixture, including the zinc vapor and other metal vapors and slag particles, from the reaction chamber through a transition piece to a slag separation chamber surrounded by a cooling jacket and located tangentially to the reaction chamber, wherein the zinc vapor and other metal vapors are separated from the molten slag particles;
• g. transporting the zinc vapor and other metal vapors to an insulated plenum, wherein the zinc vapor and other metal vapors are mixed with air and become airborne zinc oxide and other metal oxides;
• and
• h. transporting the airborne zinc oxide and other metal oxides from the insulated plenum to a filter baghouse where zinc and other metal oxides are collected and remaining gases are released to the atmosphere.