Cold start-up method for a direct smelting process
AssigneeTechnological Resources Pty. Limited
InventorsIain William Farr, Rodney James Dry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of cold starting a molten bath-based direct smelting process for producing molten iron in a vessel (3) is disclosed. The method includes a step of preheating the vessel before supplying solid feed materials into the vessel. The method also includes a subsequent step of supplying an oxygen-containing gas and solid feed materials including material for forming slag, iron-containing feed material, and carbonaceous material into the vessel and generating heat and forming a bath of molten material that includes molten iron and molten slag in the vessel. This step includes supplying feed materials to promote formation of molten slag over molten iron in an early stage of developing the molten bath.
Claims42
A method of cold starting a molten bath-based direct smelting process for producing molten iron having at least 3 wt % carbon in a direct smelting vessel without supply of molten material that includes the steps of:
- (a) preheating the vessel;
- and thereafter
- (b) supplying an oxygen-containing gas and solid feed materials including material for forming slag, iron-containing feed material, and carbonaceous material into the vessel and generating heat through burning of carbonaceous material with oxygen containing gas and forming a bath of molten material that includes molten iron and molten slag in the vessel, the step (b) including:
- supplying the solid feed materials to promote formation of molten slag over molten iron in an early stage of developing the molten bath, and
- supplying the solid feed materials in varying proportions into the vessel during different stages of the step (b).
A method of cold starting a molten bath-based direct smelting process for producing molten iron having at least 3 wt % carbon in a direct smelting vessel without supply of molten material that includes the steps of:
- (a) preheating the vessel;
- and thereafter
- (b) supplying an oxygen-containing gas and solid feed materials including material for forming slag, iron-containing feed material, and carbonaceous material into the vessel and generating heat through burning of carbonaceous material with oxygen containing gas and forming a bath of molten material that includes molten iron and molten slag in the vessel, the step (b) including:
- supplying the solid feed materials to promote formation of molten slag over molten iron in an early stage of developing the molten bath, and
- supplying the solid feed materials into the vessel by injecting the feed materials through solids injection lances that extend into the vessel.
A method of cold starting a molten bath-based direct smelting process for producing molten iron having at least 3 wt % carbon in a direct smelting vessel without supply of molten material that includes the steps of:
- (a) preheating the vessel, the vessel including an outer steel shell and a refractory-lined hearth for containing a molten bath, the step (a) including preheating the vessel until the temperature of an inwardly facing surface of the hearth refractories is at least 1300° C.;
- and thereafter
- (b) supplying an oxygen-containing gas and solid feed materials including material for forming slag, iron-containing feed material, and carbonaceous material into the vessel and generating heat through burning of carbonaceous material with oxygen containing gas and forming the molten bath of molten material that includes molten iron and molten slag in the vessel, the step (b) including supplying the solid feed materials to promote formation of molten slag over molten iron in an early stage of developing the molten bath.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.