A direct reduction process comprises providing a shaft furnace of a direct reduction plant to reduce iron oxide with reducing gas; providing a direct reduced iron melting furnace; and coupling a discharge chute between a discharge exit of the direct reduced shaft furnace and an inlet of the direct reduced iron melting furnace; wherein direct reduced iron and the reducing gas from the shaft furnace flow through the discharge chute and the reducing gas controls the melting furnace atmosphere to reducing environment.

A method for the production of cast iron starting from pre-reduced iron ore (DRI) with an electric arc furnace includes the steps of preparing a charge of pre-reduced iron ore DRI having a metallization higher than 90% and containing over 2.8% by weight of carbon, wherein at least 80% of the carbon is combined with the iron to form iron carbide Fe.sub.3C; charging the charge of pre-reduced iron ore into the electric arc furnace; and melting the DRI charge to form liquid cast iron having at least 80% by weight of actual carbon content deriving from the carbon in the charge of pre-reduced iron ore, the melting step being in a reducing atmosphere and in a melting chamber of the electric arc furnace subjected to a positive internal pressure generated by the gases produced by reduction reactions that develop during melting.

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.

Provided is a method for manufacturing reduced iron which includes the steps of: i) drying ores in an ore drier; ii) supplying the dried ores to at least one reduction reactor; iii) reducing the ores in the at least one reduction reactor and manufacturing reduced iron; iv) discharging exhaust gas by which the ores are reduced in the reduction reactor; v) branching the exhaust gas and providing the branched exhaust gas as ore feeding gas; and vi) exchanging heat between the exhaust gas and the ore feeding gas and transferring the sensible heat of the exhaust gas to the ore feeding gas. In the supplying the dried ores to the at least one reduction reactor, the dried ores are supplied to the at least one reduction reactor by using the ore feeding gas.

A process for steel production that includes: production of sponge iron from iron oxide-containing starting material by direct reduction with reduction gas, wherein the reduction gas has at least 20% by volume of hydrogen H.sub.2, and production of an iron melt having a carbon content of 1-5% by mass from the sponge iron.

Sponge iron is subjected to a treatment that includes: energy input and addition of additives to produce a melt and a slag, wherein the energy input is effected substantially from electricity and wherein the slag has a basicity B2 of less than 1.3, preferably less than 1.25, particularly preferably less than 1.2, adjustment of the carbon content in the melt, reduction of at least a sub-amount of the iron oxides present in the sponge iron

The slag is separated during and/or after the treatment.

An apparatus for manufacturing molten iron includes: an iron ore-mixing/pre-reducing furnace receiving and mixing natural iron ore and oxidized iron ore to form a mixture, and heating or pre-reducing the mixture using a reaction gas to form a pre-heated or pre-reduced iron ore; an iron ore reduction furnace receiving the pre-heated or pre-reduced iron ore iron ore and reducing the pre-heated or pre-reduced iron ore using a reduction gas to form a reduced iron ore and produce the reaction gas; a molten gasification furnace receiving coal and the reduced iron ore and producing molten iron and the reduction gas; and an iron ore oxidizing-burning furnace receiving part of the reduced iron ore discharged from the iron ore reduction furnace and oxidizing the received reduced iron ore to produce the oxidized iron ore. The oxidized iron ore is supplied to the iron ore-mixing/pre-reducing furnace.

Described are solid agglomerates of fine metal particles and methods for manufacturing same. A liquid oily lubricant is used in the manufacture of the solid agglomerates. The manufacturing comprises blending fine metal particles with the liquid oily lubricant and compacting the oily metallic mixture obtained to desired solid form. Advantageously, the solid agglomerates possess a desirable density, a suitable resistance to crumbling and dusting during handling, and they can resist to high temperature and to humidity. Solid agglomerated metal products, according to the invention, may be useful for different purposes such as quality charge material for steel plants, blast furnaces and foundries.

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.

A method for producing liquid pig iron (1), includes reducing iron-oxide-containing feed materials (2) to form a partially reduced first iron product (3) in a first reduction system (4), introducing the partially reduced first iron product (3), a first oxygen-containing gas (9, 9a), and a first carbon carrier (10) into a melter gasifier (11), introducing a second gaseous and/or liquid carbon carrier (13) and a second oxygen-containing gas (9b) into a mixing region (18) within the melter gasifier (11) above the fixed bed of the melter gasifier, mixing the second gaseous and/or liquid carbon carrier (13) with the second oxygen-containing gas (9b) in the mixing region (18), wherein the combustion air ratio is set in the range of 0.2 to 0.4, preferably between 0.3 and 0.35, in order to achieve partial oxidation of the second gaseous or liquid carbon carrier (13) within the mixing region (18), and mixing the gas resulting from the partial oxidation from the mixing region (18) with the gas in the remaining volume within the melter gasifier (11).

A method for the production of cast iron starting from pre-reduced iron ore (DRI) with an electric arc furnace includes the steps of preparing a charge of pre-reduced iron ore DRI having a metallization higher than 90% and containing over 2.8% by weight of carbon, wherein at least 80% of the carbon is combined with the iron to form iron carbide Fe.sub.3C; charging the charge of pre-reduced iron ore into the electric arc furnace; and melting the DRI charge to form liquid cast iron having at least 80% by weight of actual carbon content deriving from the carbon in the charge of pre-reduced iron ore, the melting step being in a reducing atmosphere and in a melting chamber of the electric arc furnace subjected to a positive internal pressure generated by the gases produced by reduction reactions that develop during melting.