Process for reclaiming combustion residues

A process for treating metallic residues from waste incineration plants and steel works in a converter having tuyeres, said process comprising:

• providing molten slag in the converter at a layer height of more than 1.2 m, the molten slag containing the metallic residues;
• reacting the molten slag with a metal bath contained in the converter while introducing an oxygen stream through the tuyeres submerged in the metal bath in an amount and at a temperature sufficient to cool the submerged tuyeres and adjust the metal bath to less than 1700.degree. C. in temperature in the vicinity of the tuyeres, said reacting of the molten slag with the metal bath causing the metallic residues of the molten slag to be reduced and passed into the metal bath;
• and
• injecting an inert gas containing carbon into the metal bath to adjust the reduction potential of the metal bath,
• wherein the oxygen stream comprises oxygen, at least one member selected from the group consisting of CO.sub.2 and water vapor, and optionally hydrocarbons.