Process and device for making liquid iron by non-electric and electric smelting

A process for metallurgically treating iron metals in a vessel, comprising the steps of:

• deoxidizing an iron containing metal pool on a bottom of the vessel by adding Al/Si;
• charging low carbon iron charge materials into the metal pool in the vessel;
• supplying oxygen to the vessel to provide non-electric heat energy to the metal pool and the charge materials;
• implementing refining of the charge materials while simultaneously charging pig iron and adding lime into the metal pool;
• removing up to 50% of slag that contains Si/O.sub.2 and is formed by the refining of the charge materials;
• suctioning off waste gases produced by the refining;
• removing the slag, that contains phosphorous, at an end of refining;
• furnishing heat energy via an electric arc to the metal pool and the charge materials;
• suctioning off flue gases created by heating the charge materials and metal pool with the electric arc;
• removing residual slag formed by the heating of the charge materials and metal pool with the electronic arc;
• and,
• tapping ferrous liquid melt from the metal pool and the heated charge materials while maintaining a portion of the pool in the vessel to permit restarting of the process, the steps being carried out so that the vessel first acts as a converter and then as a direct arc furnace.