Apparatus for injecting gas into a vessel

An apparatus for injecting particulate and/or gaseous material into a metallurgical vessel for performing a metallurgical process, the apparatus comprising

• a duct through which to inject the material;
• inner and outer water passages extending through a wall of the duct respectively for inflow of cooling water from a rear end to a forward end of the duct and for outflow of cooling water from the forward end to the rear end of the duct;
• and
• an annular duct tip disposed at the forward end of the duct and providing a water flow connection between the inner and the outer water flow passages;
• and
• wherein the duct tip has an annular inner end component, an annular outer end component, an annular central component located between the inner and outer end components, and a plurality of radially extending dividers, which are disposed radially with respect to the duct and are spaced circumferentially within the duct tip, and which divide a space between the outer end component and the central component into discrete radial passages to serve as internal water flow passages through which water is to flow radially with respect to the annular duct tip.