US 7,744,810 B2Granted

Microwave iron-making furnace

AssigneesTokyo Institute of Technology, Inter-University Research Institute Corporation National Institutes of Natural Sciences

InventorsKazuhiro Nagata, Motoyasu Sato

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Abstract

A reactor has a casing composed of a magnesia-based refractory, and a bottom plate composed of an MgO-graphite mixed refractory is disposed on a bottom part of this casing. A graphite crucible is provided at a bottom of the reactor, and the graphite crucible and the reactor are joined together by a magnesia cylinder. Iron ore powder, coal powder, and other such raw materials supplied into the reactor are irradiated with microwaves from microwave oscillators and are heated. The iron ore is reduced, and the resulting molten pig iron flows out through a hole into a crucible, and then is poured out of the crucible through another hole into a ladle. It is thereby possible to manufacture molten pig iron with high energy efficiency, instead of using blast-furnace iron-making.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A microwave iron-making furnace, comprising:

a reactor having a casing and a blanket for covering a side, bottom, and top surface of the casing;
a microwave oscillator for irradiating an interior of the reactor with microwaves;
a raw material powder supply apparatus for supplying a raw material powder containing iron ore and a carbon source to the interior of said reactor;
and
an extraction part for extracting molten iron from the reactor,
wherein said microwave oscillator directs, into the interior of the reactor, microwaves that have been imparted with directivity using a helical antenna,
wherein the raw material powder in the reactor is irradiated and heated by the microwaves from the microwave oscillator that have been imparted with directivity by the helical antenna,
wherein the iron ore is reduced using the carbon source, and
wherein the molten iron is obtained.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/219,942Filed 30 Jul 2008
Priority: JP 2007-2013881 Aug 2007
Published: US 2009/0039572 A112 Feb 2009
Granted: 29 Jun 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

F27B 5/04
Muffle furnaces; Retort furnaces; Other furnaces in which the charge is held completely isolated: adapted for treating the charge in vacuum or…
C21B 13/12
Making spongy iron or liquid steel, by direct processes: in electric furnaces
C21C 5/52
Manufacture of carbon-steel, e.g. plain mild steel, medium carbon steel or cast steel or stainless steel: manufacture of steel in electric furnaces
F27B 5/14
Details, accessories or equipment specially adapted for furnaces of these types: arrangements of heating devices

Family

US 2009/0039572 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 Feb 2009
US 7,744,810 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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