A conveyor system (1) for the continuous or discontinuous conveyance of a reactive and/or hot and/or abrasive material to be conveyed along a conveyor path includes a system housing (3) enclosing the conveyor path, which has at least one fluid inlet (5) for the introduction of fluid into the system housing (3), at least one fluid outlet (7, 9) for the discharge of fluid out of the system housing (3), a charging inlet (4) for introducing material to be conveyed into the system housing (3), and, apart from the at least one fluid inlet (5), the at least one fluid outlet (7, 9) and the charging inlet (4), are implemented in a technically fluid-tight manner.

Stabilized volatile briquettes and processes and apparatuses for making and using the same are provided. The stabilized volatile briquette includes a volatile material and a thermoplastic binder material such that the thermoplastic binder material binds the volatile material together to define a briquette that is stable. The process includes mixing a volatile waste material and a thermoplastic binder material to form a briquette mixture, shearing the briquette mixture, extruding the briquette mixture to form a thermoplastic briquette extrusion, and hardening the thermoplastic briquette extrusion to form a stabilized volatile briquette. The apparatus includes an extruder, a heating portion operably connected to the extruder, and a heated die operably connected to the heating portion such that the extruder, the heating portion, and the heated die are configured to gradually heat a thermoplastic binder material such that the thermoplastic binder material binds a provided volatile material together.

A process for the production of direct reduced iron (DRI), with or without carbon, using hydrogen, where the hydrogen is produced utilizing water generated internally from the process. The process is characterized by containing either one or two gas loops, one for affecting the reduction of the oxide and another for affecting the carburization of the DRI. The primary loop responsible for reduction recirculates used gas from the shaft furnace in a loop including a dry dedusting step, an oxygen removal step to generate the hydrogen, and a connection to the shaft furnace for reduction. In the absence of a second loop, this loop, in conjunction with natural gas addition, can be used to deposit carbon. A secondary carburizing loop installed downstream of the shaft furnace can more finely control carbon addition. This loop includes a reactor vessel, a dedusting step, and a gas separation unit.

The invention relates to the use of off-gas from furnaces (2) for the process of reduction of iron oxide. The bypass duct leads off-gas with reduction atmosphere directly into the reactor, passing through and back to join the main duct of dedusting system using negative pressure of the primary dedusting system. The off-gas directly heats up the iron oxide pellet and maintain the reduction atmosphere in the reactor and allow the reaction to proceed and prevent re-oxidation.

Methods and apparatus for the treatment of animal waste are disclosed, together with a treated animal waste and fertilizer and growth media products derived therefrom.

A conveyor system (1) for the continuous or discontinuous conveyance of a reactive and/or hot and/or abrasive material to be conveyed along a conveyor path includes a system housing (3) enclosing the conveyor path, which has at least one fluid inlet (5) for the introduction of fluid into the system housing (3), at least one fluid outlet (7, 9) for the discharge of fluid out of the system housing (3), a charging inlet (4) for introducing material to be conveyed into the system housing (3), and, apart from the at least one fluid inlet (5), the at least one fluid outlet (7, 9) and the charging inlet (4), are implemented in a technically fluid-tight manner.

The invention relates to the use of off-gas from furnaces (2) for the process of reduction of iron oxide. The bypass duct leads off-gas with reduction atmosphere directly into the reactor, passing through and back to join the main duct of dedusting system using negative pressure of the primary dedusting system. The off-gas directly heats up the iron oxide pellet and maintain the reduction atmosphere in the reactor and allow the reaction to proceed and prevent re-oxidation.

Provided is an arrangement and process for charging iron ore to a direct reduction shaft, as well as an arrangement and process for discharging sponge iron from a direct reduction shaft. The processes each include steps of evacuating gas from a vessel by application of vacuum followed by refilling the vessel with a seal gas, wherein the seal gas is a non-oxidant gas. Also provided is a system for the production of sponge iron including such an arrangement for charging iron ore and/or discharging sponge iron. Further provided is a process for direct reduction of iron ore, wherein the process includes introducing a seal gas consisting essentially of a gas selected from hydrogen, biogas, bio-syngas, carbon dioxide, and combinations thereof to a direct reduction shaft in conjunction with charging iron ore and/or in discharging sponge iron.

Provided is a raw material particle for production of agglomerate that can be used to produce an agglomerate with better reducing performance than conventional agglomerates. The raw material particle 1(2) of the present disclosure is a raw material particle for producing an agglomerate as a raw material for producing reduced iron, including a central part 11(21), and a peripheral part 12(22) that covers the periphery of the central part 11(21). The central part 11 has a metal iron-containing substance, the central part 12 has a volatile substance, and the peripheral part 12(22) has iron oxide.

Heat treatment of DRI is performed in order to form a DRI product with a metallic shell around at least a portion of the DRI. The heat treatment may be delivered through the use of a plasma torch, a gas burner, an oven, or any other like heat source. The heat treatment may heat the DRI for a fraction of a second and quickly cool the DRI in order to melt the surface and form the metallic shell without vaporizing a significant portion of the DRI and without losing a significant amount of the latent energy in the DRI. During storage and transport of the DRI product, the DRI product is less likely to fracture, the DRI product has less exposed surface area of DRI, and results in reduced DRI fines and/or DRI dust cause by the DRI product rubbing together when compared to traditional types of DRI.