Smelting Process and Apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016312321-A1
Application number	US-201415104348-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Oct 27, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A smelting apparatus that includes (a) a smelting vessel ( 4 ) that is adapted to contain a bath of molten metal and slag and (b) a smelt cyclone ( 2 ) for pre-treating a metalliferous feed material positioned above and communicating directly with the smelting vessel The apparatus also includes an oft-gas duct ( 9 ) extending from the smelt, cyclone for discharging an off-gas from the smelt cyclone. The off-gas duct has an inlet section ( 18 ) that extends upwardly from the smelt cyclone and is formed to cause off-gas to undergo a substantial change of direction as it flows through the inlet section of the off-gas duct.

First claim

1 . A smelting apparatus that includes (a) a smelting vessel that includes a smelting chamber adapted to contain a bath of molten metal and slag and (b) a smelt cyclone for pre-treating a metalliferous feed material that is positioned above and communicates directly with the smelting vessel and (c) an off-gas duct extending from the smelt cyclone for discharging an off-gas from the smelt cyclone, with the off-gas duct having an inlet section that extends upwardly from the smelt cyclone and is formed to cause off-gas to undergo a substantial change of direction as it flows through the inlet section of the off-gas duct.

2 . The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the inlet section includes (a) an upward extension of the cyclone chamber that defines an upstream leg of the inlet section and (b) a downstream leg of the inlet section, with the downstream leg extending at an angle to the upstream leg so that the off-gas undergoes the substantial change in direction as it moves through a bend that interconnects the upstream and the downstream legs.

3 . The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein the inlet section is in the form of a dog-leg bend that defines an included angle of at least 90°, typically 90-120°, between the upstream leg of the inlet section and the downstream leg of the inlet section, with the bend causing off-gas to undergo the substantial change of direction through the angle as it flows through the inlet section into the off-gas duct.

4 . The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein the bend of the inlet section is cooled and constructed to prevent growth of large solid accretions in the bend.

5 . The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the off-gas duct includes a downstream section that is formed to cause off-gas to undergo another substantial change of direction as it flows through the downstream section.

6 . The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein the downstream section includes a dog-leg bend that defines an included angle of less than 90°, typically 60-90°, between an upstream (in the direction of flow of off-gas) leg and a downstream leg of the downstream section, with the bend causing off-gas to undergo the substantial change of direction through the angle as it flows through the downstream section.

7 . The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the smelt cyclone includes tuyeres for injecting solid feed materials and oxygen-containing gas into the cyclone chamber.

8 . The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the smelting vessel includes lances for injecting solid feed materials and oxygen-containing gas into the smelting chamber.

9 . A process for smelting a metalliferous feed material including smelting the metalliferous feed material in the molten bath in the smelting vessel of the apparatus defined in claim 1 .

10 . The process defined in claim 8 includes (a) at least partially reducing and partially melting the metalliferous feed material in the smelt cyclone of the apparatus defined in any one of claims 1 to 8 and (b) completely smelting the at least partially reduced/melted material in the molten bath in the smelting vessel of the claimed apparatus.

11 . The process defined in claim 9 includes maintaining oxygen potential in the smelt cyclone that is sufficient so that the off-gas from the smelt cyclone has a post combustion degree of at least 80%.

12 . The process defined in claim 9 wherein the metalliferous feed material contains metal oxides.

13 . The process defined in claim 9 wherein the metalliferous feed material includes ores, partly reduced ores and metal containing waste streams.

14 . The process defined in claim 9 wherein the metalliferous feed material includes an iron-containing feed material, such as an iron ore.

15 . The process defined in 9 wherein the metalliferous feed material includes a titania slag.

Assignees

• Tech Resources Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Dry Rodney James
• Pilote Jacques
• Meijer Hendrikus Koenraad Albertus

Classifications

• C21C5/567

  operating in a continuous way · CPC title

• C22B34/1295

  Refining, melting, remelting, working up of titanium · CPC title

• F27D2003/164

  Oxygen · CPC title

• C21B13/0026

  introduction of iron oxide in the flame of a burner or a hot gas stream · CPC title

• F27B1/10

  Details, accessories or equipment specially adapted for furnaces of these types · CPC title