Direct smelting process

A direct smelting process for producing metal from an iron-containing metalliferous feed material in a metallurgical vessel, which process includes the steps of:

• (a) forming a molten bath containing molten metal and slag in the vessel;
• (b) supplying solids including an iron-containing metalliferous feed material and a solid carbonaceous material to the vessel and smelting metalliferous material to metal in the molten bath, the solids supplying step including injecting at least part of the solid carbonaceous material and a carrier gas into the molten bath via one or more than one downwardly extending lance/tuyere which extends below the location of the nominal surface of the molten bath as determined under quiescent conditions, whereby the solids and gas injection causes bath-derived gas flow in and from the molten bath, which bath-derived gas flow promotes substantial mixing of molten material in the molten bath, which bath-derived gas flow has a flow rate of at least 0.30 Nm3/s/m2 at the location of the nominal surface of the molten bath as determined under quiescent conditions, which bath-derived gas flow entrains molten material in the molten bat and carries the molten material upwardly from the bat as splashes, droplets and streams, whereby at least part of the splashes, droplets and streams of molten material contact the side walls of the vessel and form a protective layer of slag;
• and
• (c) injecting an oxygen-containing gas into the vessel via one or more than one lance/tuyere and post-combusting reaction gases in the bath derived gas flow released from the molten bath, whereby ascending and thereafter descending splashes, droplets and streams of molten material facilitate heat transfer to the molten bath.