A continuous process provides direct reduction of iron ore in a solid state. Briquettes of iron ore fragments and biomass are transported through a preheating chamber and preheated to a temperature of at least 400° C. The preheated briquettes are transported through a heating/reduction chamber that has an anoxic environment, and iron ore and biomass in the briquettes are exposed to electromagnetic energy in the form of microwave energy under anoxic conditions. Microwave energy generates heat within iron ore, and biomass acts as a reductant and reduces iron ore in a solid state, as the briquettes move through the heating/reduction chamber.

A method produces a high-strength sintered ore while maintaining a high production rate by performing appropriate oxygen enrichment at a position closer to an ore discharging section than an ignition position without using gaseous fuel in the operation of a sintering machine. In a method for producing sintered ore including sequentially combusting carbonaceous material in a sinter bed (raw material charged layer) in a DL sintering machine to sinter the mixed raw material, in performing oxygen enrichment from above the raw material charging layer on the sintering machine, the oxygen enrichment is performed at a position closer to the ore discharging section than the position where 4 minutes have passed since the upper surface of the charging layer was ignited

A process and an apparatus for producing direct reduced iron (“DRI”) from iron ore and biomass are disclosed. The process includes heating a batch of iron ore and biomass in a batch oven (3) and reducing iron ore and forming a solid DRI product having a metallisation of 80-99% and generating an offgas. The process includes discharging the solid product at the end of the batch cycle and discharging offgas during the course of the batch cycle. The process operates the batch oven in a temperature range of 700-1100#C in a batch cycle time of 10-100 hours.

One object of the present invention is to provide a burner which makes it possible to prevent blockage and damage of the nozzle by the molten metal and the slag, and the present invention provides a burner including a combustion supporting gas supply passage which is configured to supply a combustion supporting gas toward a combustion supporting gas outlet provided at the center of the tip end side; a fuel supply passage which is configured to supply a fuel toward a fuel ejection outlet provided around the combustion supporting gas outlet; and a protective nozzle provided from a position surrounding a periphery of the fuel ejection outlet so as to project forward beyond the tip end surface at which the combustion supporting gas ejection outlet and the fuel ejection outlet are provided; wherein the combustion supporting gas supply passage includes a Laval nozzle, and a diameter-enlarged nozzle of which a diameter gradually increases from the tip end of the Laval nozzle toward the combustion supporting gas ejection outlet, and the protective nozzle has a shape which is gradually reduced in diameter forward from the tip end surface.

A process for treating a material, such as by calcination or reduction processes, is disclosed. The process comprises reacting hydrogen and oxygen in a reaction chamber and producing heat and steam, discharging steam from the reaction chamber, using the heat to treat the material and produce a treated material, and returning at least some of the steam discharged from the reaction chamber to the process. An apparatus is also disclosed.

A hydrogen release and storage system (100) of the present invention includes a first hydrogen release and storage unit (100A) composed of a first hydrogen compound member (101A), a first container (102A) that accommodates the first hydrogen compound member (101A), a first heating apparatus (103A) configured to heat an inside of the first container (102A), a first cooling apparatus (104A) configured to cool the inside of the first container (102A), a first water supply apparatus (105A) configured to supply water to the first container (102A), a second hydrogen release and storage unit (100B) composed of a second hydrogen compound member (101B), a second container (102B) that accommodates the second hydrogen compound member (101B), a second heating apparatus (103B) configured to heat an inside of the second container (102B), a second cooling apparatus (104B) configured to cool the inside of the second container (102B) and a second water supply apparatus (105B) configured to supply water to the second container (102B).

The present disclosure relates to a process for the production of carburized sponge iron. The process comprises the steps of reducing iron ore pellets using a carbon-lean reducing gas in a direct reduction shaft reactor to provide a sponge iron intermediate; transferring the sponge iron intermediate to a carburization unit; and carburizing the sponge iron intermediate in the carburization unit using a carburizing gas to provide carburized sponge iron. The disclosure further relates to a system for the production of carburized sponge iron, a carburized sponge iron produced by the aforementioned process, and a sponge iron intermediate obtained during the production of such a carburized sponge iron.

A method of introducing a metalliferous feed in an ironmaking process, the method including the steps of, pre-drying an iron containing sludge by drying means to an amount of 15 to 30% (w/w) moisture, mixing the pre-dried iron containing sludge with a binder material to obtain a granulate, having a particle size of less than 4 millimeter and drying the granulate to a maximum of 3% (w/w) moisture, thereby forming the metalliferous feed, wherein the metalliferous feed is subsequently injected into a cyclone part of a metallurgical vessel.

A hydrogen release and storage system (100) of the present invention includes a hydrogen compound member (101), a container (102) that accommodates the hydrogen compound member (101), a heating apparatus (103) configured to heat the inside of the container (102), a cooling apparatus (104) configured to cool the inside of the container (102) and a water supply apparatus (105) configured to supply water to the container (102).

A compacted ‘green’ briquette between 5 cm.sup.3 and 20 cm.sup.3 including, prior to reduction in a direct reduction process, a composition including at least 30% lignocellulosic biomass material by dry weight and at least 55% iron ore fines by weight, a density of between 1.4 g/cm.sup.3 and 2.0 g/cm.sup.3, and a compaction strength of at least 500N. A direct reduced iron briquette suitable for the production of iron and/or steel including at least 85% iron by weight and at least 1% fixed carbon by weight, and a volume of between 7.5 cm.sup.3 and 30 cm.sup.3, wherein the briquette has, prior to reduction (i.e. as a ‘green’ briquette), the above composition.