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AssigneeHylsa S.A. de C.V.
InventorsJorge O. Becerra-Novoa, Ricardo Viramontes-Brown, Marco A. Flores-Verdugo, Jose J. Garza-Ondarza
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In a method of producing iron and steel, from iron ores largely composed of iron oxides, wherein a direct reduction process is used to produce a solid particulate intermediate product, generally known as sponge iron or Direct Reduced Iron (DRI); pneumatically conveying the DRI in a closed pipe from the reduction reactor of the direct reduction process to the metallurgical furnaces where liquid iron or steel are produced, for example electric arc furnaces, induction furnaces, basic oxygen furnaces, etc. or to a briquetting press to form DRI briquettes, or simply to a silo or storage bin, or in general to a subsequent processing step for said DRI. When the carrier gas is recirculated for reuse, surprisingly air is preferred as the source of such gas, especially for reactive hot DRI. This method has a superior efficiency and productivity and reduces the overall energy consumption relative to currently used DRI steelmaking plants. This is also applicable to pneumatic delivery of cold (or hot) ore to the reduction reactor.
The method of transporting hot sponge iron particles, of a size at least 80% of which are greater than 0.5 cm and at least 50% of which are greater than 1.0 cm and which are produced by the direct reduction of particulate iron ore in a reduction reactor, from a departure point at the discharge of said reactor to a remote point of sponge storage or use, which comprises entraining said sponge iron particles in a carrier fluid, causing the mixture of carrier fluid and sponge iron particles to flow through a closed conduit to carry said particles by means of said carrier fluid to said remote point, and separating said carrier fluid from said particles at said remote point.
Method of producing iron and steel by a process wherein iron oxides bearing particles are chemically reduced to DRI, solid particles of metallic iron and gangue of a size at least 90% of which is greater than 0.5 cm, by means of a direct reduction process in a reduction reactor, located at a first point in a steelmaking plant, where said DRI is discharged from said reduction reactor and is then transported to a continuing processing step at a second point in said plant, comprising pneumatically transporting said DRI through a duct from said first point to said second point utilizing a stream of carrier gas which is circulated through said duct at a velocity between 9 and 35 meters/sec.
The method of transporting iron-bearing particles which may include iron ore or sponge iron, which are of a size at least 80% of which are greater than 0.5 cm and at least 50% of which are greater than 1.0 cm, from a departure point of use or storage to a remote point of storage or use, which comprises entraining said iron-bearing particles in a gaseous carrier fluid, causing the mixture of carrier fluid and iron-bearing particles to flow through a closed conduit to transport said particles to said remote point, and separating said carrier fluid from said particles at said remote point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.