Reduction of metal oxides and vessel
AssigneeTechnological Resources Pty. Limited
InventorKarl Brotzmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of reducing metal oxides in a vessel containing a molten bath, the bath comprising a metal layer and a slag layer, wherein metal oxides and carbonaceous material are introduced into the bath, gas is injected into the slag layer to case the eruption of molten slag parts, droplets and/or streams into the gas space above the bath and oxygen-containing gas is injected into the gas space to case post-combustion.
Claims18
A method of reducing metal oxides in a vessel containing a molten bath, the bath comprising a metal layer and a slag layer, the method comprising:
- a) injecting metal oxides into and/or onto the bath and carbonaceous material into and/or onto the bath so that the metal oxides are smelted and reduced to metal in the metal layer whereby CO and H.sub.2 are generated;
- b) injecting a gas directly into the slag layer to cause the eruption of molten slag parts, droplets and/or streams into a gas space above the bath with minimal entrainment of metal from the metal layer;
- and
- c) injecting an oxygen-containing gas into the gas space to cause post-combustion of said CO and H.sub.2 so that the heat generated by the post-combustion is transferred directly to the molten slag parts, droplets and/or streams.
A vessel for reducing metal oxides, the vessel being adapted for holding molten bath comprising a metal layer and a slag layer thereon, the vessel comprising:
- a) a means for injecting metal oxides into and/or onto the bath and carbonaceous material into and/or onto the bath so that the metal oxides are smelted and reduced to metal values in the metal layer whereby CO and H.sub.2 are generated;
- b) a means for injecting a gas into the slag layer to cause the ejection of molten slag parts, droplets and/or streams into a gas space above the bath with minimal entrainment of metal values from the metal layer;
- and
- c) a means for injecting oxygen-containing gas into the gas space to cause post-combustion of said CO and H.sub.2 so that the heat generated by the post-combustion is transferred directly to the molten slag parts, droplets and/or streams;
- and
- d) a base comprising a lower tier and an upper tier, whereby in use the metal layer extends above the lower tier up to or below the level of the upper tier and the slag layer extends above the metal layer and the upper tier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.