GB923233A - A process and apparatus for smelting metal oxide-containing dusts or ores in finely divided or particulate form - Google Patents

Abstract

923,233. Extracting metals. R. RUMMEL. June 5, 1959 [June 7, 1958], No. 19358/59. Classes 72 and 82. In a process for smelting metal-oxide-containing dusts or ores, e.g. Fe 2 O 3 , in finely divided form in two reduction stages, the dust or ore and fluxes, if necessary, are firstly melted in a smelting and initial reduction chamber 1 by introducing a fuel and a gas containing free oxygen into a bath 2, set in turbulent motion by the flow energy inherent in the charged dust or ore, fuel, gas and fluxes (if employed) introduced thereinto (through nozzles 3, 4, 5 and 6 in an arch 7), the metal oxide(s) in the melt is/are transformed into a lower stage of oxidation by a predetermined fuel supply, then secondly the liquid mixture and the gases formed are conducted to another chamber 18 (through a pipe 16), with a smelting bath 20, 21 to which the gases impart heat before leaving, and complete reduction is effected therein by supply of reducing agent. A solid fuel may be employed as the reducing agent for the complete reduction, which may contain no volatile constituents, and may be coke dust. An excess of fuel may be added as reducing agent (through a nozzle or nozzles 26 for the bath 20, 21), which may be discharged with the gases during the two stages and separated therefrom for addition. Preheated air may be used as a gas. The slag 20 is kept at constant level by an overflow channel 23. From the chamber 18 the hot gas flows through a waste heat boiler with heat exchangers and, if desired, through another waste heat boiler, for combustion of any remaining combustible constituents, supplied with preheated air, a steam superheater, air preheater and economiser. Specification 670,769 is referred to.