Direct Smelting Process and Apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016017458-A1
Application number	US-201514867116-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 28, 2015
Priority date	Feb 9, 2009
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process and apparatus for direct smelting metalliferous material is disclosed. The invention concentrates injection of solid feed materials comprising metalliferous material and carbonaceous material into a direct smelting vessel during the course of the process into a relatively small region within a metal layer in a molten bath in the vessel in order to generate a substantial upward movement of molten material and gas from the metal layer into a region in the vessel that is above the molten bath. In particular, the invention injects the solid food materials with sufficient momentum and/or velocity via an opposed pair of lances that are oriented within the vessel and arranged to form overlapping plumes of injected material in the molten bath.

First claim

1 . A direct smelting apparatus for direct smelting metalliferous material and producing molten metal that comprises:
(a) a direct smelting vessel having a hearth, including a floor and a side wall, defining a volume for containing a molten bath of metal and slag, the vessel further having (i) at least one pair of opposed lances extending downwardly and inwardly into the vessel through the side wall to inject solid material into the vessel during a direct smelting process, the opposed lances each having an inlet end outside the vessel for receiving the solid materials and an outlet end inside the vessel and having longitudinal axes that intersect within a top three quarters of the metal layer of a molten bath as measured from the vessel floor and (ii) at least one additional lance extending downwardly and inwardly into the vessel through the side wall to inject a solid carbonaceous material into the vessel during start-up of the process, each additional lance having an inlet end outside the vessel for receiving the solid carbonaceous material and an outlet end inside the vessel, and (b) a material supply apparatus in communication with a source of solid metalliferous material and in communication with a source of solid carbonaceous material and in communication with the opposed pair of lances, wherein the material supply apparatus delivers the solids metalliferous material and the solid carbonaceous material to the inlet ends of the opposed lances and delivers solid carbonaceous material to each additional lance.

2 . The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the material supply apparatus for the pair of lances comprises:
(i) a first solids supply line that connects a metalliferous material dispensing/metering unit to the inlet end of at least one lance of the pair and the first solids supply line is adapted to communicate heated solid metalliferous feed material from the dispensing/metering unit to the inlet end; and
(ii) an assembly that connects a carbonaceous material dispensing/metering unit directly into the said lance or to the first solids supply line downstream of the metalliferous material dispensing/metering unit so that there can be co-injection of heated metalliferous material and carbonaceous material from the lance into the vessel.

3 . The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the vessel has a minimum diameter of 5 m in a hearth region of the vessel.

4 . The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein each lance in the pair of lances is at an angle of less than 50° to the vertical.

5 . The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the additional lance for injecting carbonaceous material during process start-up is at an angle of at least 50° to the vertical.

6 . The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the metalliferous material dispensing/metering unit comprises a plurality of bins that receive heated metalliferous material at atmospheric conditions and transfer the heated solid metalliferous material to a pressurised carrier gas environment.

7 . The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the carbonaceous material dispensing/metering unit comprises a plurality of bins that receive carbonaceous material at atmospheric conditions and transfer the carbonaceous material to a pressurised carrier gas environment.

8 . The apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein the outlet ends of the opposed lances are located above the metal layer of the molten bath and direct solid materials into the molten bath so that plumes of the solid materials overlap in a central region of the molten bath.

9 . The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the metalliferous material comprises iron oxides.

10 . A direct smelting plant that comprises:
(a) the direct smelting apparatus defined in claim 1 ; and (b) a pre-treatment unit in communication with and upstream of the metalliferous material dispensing/metering unit, for heating a solid metalliferous material and delivering the heated solid metalliferous material to the metalliferous material dispensing/metering unit.

11 . The plant as defined in claim 10 wherein the pre-treatment unit comprises a pre-heater.

Assignees

• Tech Resources Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Pilote Jacques
• Dry Rodney James

Classifications

• C21B13/0013 Primary

  introduction of iron oxide into a bath of molten iron containing a carbon reductant · CPC title

• C22B5/18

  Reducing step-by-step · CPC title

• F27D3/18

  Charging particulate material using a fluid carrier · CPC title

• F27D3/0025

  Charging or loading melting furnaces with material in the solid state · CPC title

• F27M2001/04

  Carbon-containing material · CPC title