# US 2025/0083232 A1 · Continuous granulated metallic units production, and associated systems, devices, and methods

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- Number: US 2025/0083232 A1
- Document ID: US20250083232A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/882,638
- Filed: 2024-09-11
- Published: 2025-03-13
- Earliest claimed: 2023-09-11
- Assignees: Suncoke Technology and Development LLC
- Applicants: Suncoke Technology and Development LLC
- Inventors: John Francis QUANCI; John Michael RICHARDSON; Patrick James MULLARKEY; David James SCHWAKE; Andrew Michael BUTOR; Jonathan Hale PERKINS; Chun Wai CHOI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250083232A1

## CPC

- B61D 7/02: with discharge openings in the bottoms (with body in two halves and discharge by tipping the halves B61D9/00)
- B22D 41/12: Travelling ladles or similar containers; Cars for ladles (casting cranes B66C)
- B22F 9/04: starting from solid material, e.g. by crushing, grinding or milling ({C22C1/1084 takes precedence}; crushing, grinding or milling, in general, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B02C)
- B22F 9/08: by casting, e.g. through sieves or in water, by atomising or spraying (using electric discharge B22F9/14)
- B61D 7/32: Means for assisting charge or discharge
- B61D 17/18: Internal lining, e.g. insulating
- B61K 13/00: Other auxiliaries or accessories for railways
- C02F 1/52: by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities {(C02F1/463 takes precedence)}
- C21B 5/008: {Composition or distribution of the charge}
- C21B 7/14: Discharging devices, e.g. for slag
- C21B 13/0006: {obtaining iron or steel in a molten state}
- C21C 5/52: Manufacture of steel in electric furnaces {(C21C5/005 takes precedence)}
- C21C 5/527: {Charging of the electric furnace}
- C21C 7/0006: {Adding metallic additives}
- C21C 7/0075: {Treating in a ladle furnace, e.g. up-/reheating of molten steel within the ladle}
- C21C 7/064: Dephosphorising; Desulfurising
- C21C 7/068: Decarburising
- C22C 33/006: {compositions used for making ferrous alloys}
- C22C 38/002: {containing In, Mg, or other elements not provided for in one single group C22C38/001 - C22C38/60}
- C22C 38/02: containing silicon
- C22C 38/04: containing manganese
- G01G 13/006: {Container supply or discharge mechanism (means for automatic loading or discharging G01G13/02, G01G13/16, G01G13/24)}
- B22F 2009/0828: {with water}
- B22F 2009/0832: {Handling of atomising fluid, e.g. heating, cooling, cleaning, recirculating}
- B61D 7/00: Hopper cars (flat bottomed cars convertible into hoppers B61D3/06)
- C02F 2101/20: Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
- C02F 2101/203: {Iron or iron compound}
- C02F 2103/023: {Water in cooling circuits}
- C02F 2103/10: from quarries or from mining activities
- C02F 2103/16: from metallurgical processes, i.e. from the production, refining or treatment of metals, e.g. galvanic wastes
- C02F 2209/40: Liquid flow rate
- C02F 2301/02: Fluid flow conditions
- B61D: BODY DETAILS OR KINDS OF RAILWAY VEHICLES (vehicles in general B60; adaptation of vehicles to special systems B61B; underframes B61F)
- B22D: CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES (shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29C; metallurgical processing, selection of substances to be added to metal C21, C22)
- B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- B61K: AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR RAILWAYS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)
- C21B: MANUFACTURE OF IRON OR STEEL (preliminary treatment of ferrous ores or scrap C22B1/00)
- C21C: PROCESSING OF PIG-IRON, e.g. REFINING, MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON OR STEEL; TREATMENT IN MOLTEN STATE OF FERROUS ALLOYS
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)
- G01G: WEIGHING (sorting by weighing B07C5/16)

## Abstract

Systems for continuous granulated metallic unit (GMU) production, and associated devices and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a continuous GMU production system includes a furnace unit, a desulfurization unit, a plurality of granulator units, and a cooling system. The furnace unit can receive input materials such as iron ore and output molten metal. The desulfurization unit can reduce a sulfur content of the molten metallics received from the furnace unit. Each of the plurality of granulator units can include a tundish that can control the flow of molten metallics and a reactor that can granulate the molten metallics to form GMUs. The cooling system can provide cooled water to the reactor. Continuous GMU production systems configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can produce GMUs under continuous operations cycles for, e.g., at least 6 hours.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-11. (canceled)

### Claim 12

A method for producing granulated metallic units (GMUs), the method comprising:
reducing a sulfur content of molten metallics to produce desulfurized molten metallics; and
feeding the desulfurized molten metallics to one of first or second granulator units, wherein feeding comprises:
transferring the desulfurized molten metallics into a tundish of one of the first or second granulator units,
directing the desulfurized molten metallics from the tundish into a reactor of one of the first or second granulator units, and
granulating the desulfurized molten metallics in the reactor to form GMUs.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein granulating comprises ejecting the desulfurized molten metallics via a vibrating nozzle of the tundish.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein granulating comprises extruding the desulfurized molten metallics.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein granulating comprises applying a pressurized stream of water to the desulfurized molten metallics.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein reducing the sulfur content comprises adding at least one of calcium carbide or magnesium to the molten metallics.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising dithering a stopper rod to control a flow rate of the molten metallics out of an outlet of the tundish.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
ejecting the GMUs to a dewatering assembly of one of the first or second granulator units; and
drying and filtering by size the GMUs at the dewatering assembly.

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
transferring filtrate from a dewatering assembly to a classifier assembly of one of the first or second granulator units; and
classifying, at the classifier assembly, the filtrate to output GMU fines having an average size of less than 1 mm.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
transporting the desulfurized molten metallics to one of the first or second granulator units using a torpedo car; and
deslagging and/or dekishing the torpedo car after the torpedo car has transported the desulfurized molten metallics to one of the first or second granulator units.