Metallurgical process and plant therefor

A metallurgical process for the production and/or treatment of at least one metal in a reactor, the process comprising:

• discharging a waste gas stream including at least one of molten particles and vaporous constituents via a waste gas conduit;
• and
• after-treating the waste gas stream by supplying at least one of a cooling gas and a cooling gas mixture, the after-treating comprising injecting the at least one of a cooling gas and a cooling gas mixture into the waste gas conduit on a side of the waste gas conduit facing the reactor, the injecting being performed at a velocity and substantially tangentially with respect to a main flow direction of the waste gas so as to form a layer of the at least one of a cooling gas and a cooling gas mixture at least on an inner wall surface of the waste gas conduit in a region facing the reactor, the injecting including adjusting a quantity of the at least one of a cooling gas and a cooling gas mixture injected into the waste gas conduit based on at last one of:
• a temperature and a volume of the waste gas stream, and
• a material property of at least one of the molten particles and the vaporous constituents of the waste gas stream
• so as to gradually mix the waste gas stream and the at least one of a cooling gas and a cooling gas mixture along a length of the waste gas conduit and provide a mixing temperature of the waste gas stream and of the at least one of a cooling gas and a cooling gas mixture below at least one of a melting temperature of the molten particles and a condensation temperature of the vaporous constituents of the waste gas stream,
• wherein a temperature of the at least one of a cooling gas and a cooling gas mixture is at least 100 K below a temperature of the waste gas stream at an outlet of the reactor, and wherein a temperature difference between the waste gas stream and the least one of a cooling gas and a cooling gas mixture at an end of the waste gas conduit facing away from the reactor is less than 100 K.