Electrorefining cells and methods for electrorefining ferrous molten metal (e.g. steels), that includes impurities (e.g., carbon), are described. Liquid metal is provided in ladle with a molten electrolyte on top of it to form a metal-electrolyte interface. An electrode connection is put into contact with the metal for electronic conduction therewith, while a counter electrode is put into contact with the electrolyte for forming an electrolyte-counter electrode interface. Both the electrode connection and the counter electrode remain in the solid form in, and inert to, the metal and the electrolyte, respectively. The electrode connection and the counter electrode are made of an electronically conductive material. Therefore, during electrorefining operations, an electromotive force can be supplied between the electrode connection and the counter electrode so as to induce electrochemical reactions to occur at both the metal-electrolyte interface and the electrolyte-counter electrode connection, producing a ferrous molten metal depleted of the impurities.

Electrorefining cells and methods for electrorefining ferrous molten metal (e.g. steels), that includes impurities (e.g., carbon), are described. Liquid metal is provided in ladle with a molten electrolyte on top of it to form a metal-electrolyte interface. An electrode connection is put into contact with the metal for electronic conduction therewith, while a counter electrode is put into contact with the electrolyte for forming an electrolyte-counter electrode interface. Both the electrode connection and the counter electrode remain in the solid form in, and inert to, the metal and the electrolyte, respectively. The electrode connection and the counter electrode are made of an electronically conductive material. Therefore, during electrorefining operations, an electromotive force can be supplied between the electrode connection and the counter electrode so as to induce electrochemical reactions to occur at both the metal-electrolyte interface and the electrolyte-counter electrode connection, producing a ferrous molten metal depleted of the impurities.

In a method for producing a molten steel according to one aspect of the present invention, the solid-state direct reduced iron contains 3.0% by mass or more of SiO.sub.2 and Al.sub.2O.sub.3 in total and 1.0% by mass or more of carbon. A ratio of a metallic iron to the total iron content contained in the solid-state direct reduced iron is 90% by mass or more, and an excess carbon content Cx is 0.2% by mass or more to the carbons contained in the solid-state direct reduced iron. The method includes a step in a first furnace of melting 40 to 100% by mass of the solid-state direct reduced iron, and separating a molten pig iron having a carbon content of 2.0 to 5.0% by mass and a temperature of 1350 to 1550° C. and a slag having a basicity of 1.0 to 1.4 and a step in a second furnace of melting a remainder of the solid reduced iron together with the molten pig iron separated in the first furnace and blowing oxygen onto the molten material to decarburize into a molten steel.

In a method for producing a molten steel according to one aspect of the present invention, the solid-state direct reduced iron contains 3.0% by mass or more of SiO.sub.2 and Al.sub.2O.sub.3 in total and 1.0% by mass or more of carbon. A ratio of a metallic iron to the total iron content contained in the solid-state direct reduced iron is 90% by mass or more, and an excess carbon content Cx is 0.2% by mass or more to the carbons contained in the solid-state direct reduced iron. The method includes a step in a first furnace of melting 40 to 100% by mass of the solid-state direct reduced iron, and separating a molten pig iron having a carbon content of 2.0 to 5.0% by mass and a temperature of 1350 to 1550° C. and a slag having a basicity of 1.0 to 1.4 and a step in a second furnace of melting a remainder of the solid reduced iron together with the molten pig iron separated in the first furnace and blowing oxygen onto the molten material to decarburize into a molten steel.

The present disclosure provides a method of dual-phase hot metal extrusion comprising (i) providing a load carrier made of a first metal material, wherein the load carrier comprises one or more load chambers containing a second metal material, wherein the melting point of the second metal material is lower than the melting point of the first metal material, (ii) heating the load carrier to a temperature above the melting point of the second metal material and suitable for extrusion of the load carrier, and (iii) extruding the load carrier to form an extruded product. The present disclosure also provides apparatuses for accomplishing the dual-phase hot extrusion of metals and products resulting from such processes.

Provided is a straight barrel type vacuum refining device comprising a vacuum chamber and a snorkel; during the vacuum refining the snorkel is inserted into the molten steel of the steel ladle, it is characterized in that, disposing a circulating tube being on the circumference of said snorkel, and blowing argon gas into the snorkel through the nozzles on an inner wall of a circulating tube; said circulating tubes are disposed in layers, the nozzles on the circulating tubes in the same layer are individually controlled as 2-6 in one group; disposing an eccentric gas permeable brick at the bottom of said steel ladle, and blowing argon gas into the steel ladle through the eccentric gas permeable brick, driving a circulating flow molten steel between the steel ladle and the vacuum chamber by using different blowing flow rate combinations of a steel ladle bottom blowing and each individually controlled unit of the circulating tube blowing system.

A method for producing a silicon based alloy having between 45 and 95% by weight of Si; max 0.05% by weight of C; 0.01-10% by weight of Al; 0.01-0.3% by weight of Ca; max 0.10% by weight of Ti; 0.5-25% by weight of Mn; 0.005-0.07% by weight of P; 0.001-0.005% by weight of S; the balance being Fe and incidental impurities in the ordinary amount.

A steel strip is produced by melting a steel melt containing (in wt. %): C: 0.1 to <0.3; Mn: 4 to <8; Al: >1 to 2.9; P: <0.05; S: <0.05; N: <0.02; remainder iron including unavoidable steel-associated elements. The steel melt is cast to form a pre-strip or to form a slab and heated to a rolling temperature of 1050 to 1250° C. or in-line rolling out of the casting heat. The pres-strip or slab is hot rolled into a hot strip having a thickness of 12 to 0.8 mm, at a final rolling temperature of 1050 to 800° C. The hot strip is reeled at a temperature of more than 200 to 800° C., pickled, annealed for an annealing time of 1 min to 48 h and at a temperature of 540 to 840° C., and cold rolled at room temperature or elevated temperature in at least one rolling pass.

A steel strip is produced by melting a steel melt containing (in wt. %): C: 0.1 to <0.3; Mn: 4 to <8; Al: >1 to 2.9; P: <0.05; S: <0.05; N: <0.02; remainder iron including unavoidable steel-associated elements. The steel melt is cast to form a pre-strip or to form a slab and heated to a rolling temperature of 1050 to 1250° C. or in-line rolling out of the casting heat. The pres-strip or slab is hot rolled into a hot strip having a thickness of 12 to 0.8 mm, at a final rolling temperature of 1050 to 800° C. The hot strip is reeled at a temperature of more than 200 to 800° C., pickled, annealed for an annealing time of 1 min to 48 h and at a temperature of 540 to 840° C., and cold rolled at room temperature or elevated temperature in at least one rolling pass.

A silicon based alloy is disclosed having between 45 and 95% by weight of Si; max 0.05% by weight of C; 0.01-10% by weight of Al; 0.01-0.3% by weight of Ca; max 0.10% by weight of Ti; 0.5-25% by weight of Mn; 0.005-0.07% by weight of P; 0.001-0.005% by weight of S; the balance being Fe and incidental impurities in the ordinary amount, a method for the production of the alloy and the use thereof.