A direct reduction method/system, including: adding variable amounts of natural gas, hydrogen, and a carbon-free oxidizing gas to a feed gas stream upstream of a reformer; reforming the feed gas stream in the reformer to form a reformed gas stream, and delivering the reformed gas stream to a shaft furnace, where the reformed gas stream is used to reduce a metallic ore material to a direct reduced metallic material. The feed gas stream includes a top gas stream recycled from the shaft furnace. Optionally, the carbon-free oxidizing gas includes steam and the method further includes controlling a steam flow rate of the steam to maintain a maximum k-factor value of the feed gas stream of 0.74 or lower. Optionally, the variable amount of hydrogen is selected to replace 20-90% of the natural gas by fuel value. The variable amount of hydrogen is selected based upon an available supply of hydrogen.

Producing direct reduced iron (DRI) having chemically-combined carbon includes providing DRI at a temperature above 400 C., providing a first gas stream including hydrogen and carbon monoxide, passing the first gas stream through a methane forming process to yield a second gas stream containing a higher concentration of methane than the first gas stream; and contacting the second gas stream with the DRI. A system for producing the DRI includes a vessel for containing DRI at a temperature above 400 C., a methane forming reactor containing a catalyst bed for producing methane from a first gas stream containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide, a first conduit to feed a gas stream including hydrogen and carbon monoxide to the methane forming reactor, and a second conduit to feed the second gas stream to the vessel containing the DRI.

A classified reduction gasification iron smelting process of iron ore powder and coal powder in a Y-type entrained flow bed. The process comprises the following steps: uniformly mixing the pre-reduced hot iron ore powder with the coal powder, and introducing the mixture, a gasification agent and water vapor into a Y-type entrained flow bed for performing combustion, gasification and reduction reaction to obtain crude syngas and molten iron; the crude syngas is used for sucking iron ore powder to enter a riser to perform preheating and partial reduction.

The invention relates to a method for producing syngas in combined operation with a metallurgical plant which comprises at least one blast furnace for producing crude iron, a converter steel mill and a coke-oven plant. Part of the blast-furnace top gas that is produced in the production of crude iron and/or part of the converter gas that occurs in the converter steel mill and/or part of the coke-oven gas that is produced in the coke-oven plant are mixed. By choosing the gas streams that are brought together to form a mixed gas and/or by changing the mixing ratios of the gas streams that are brought together, at least two streams of useful gas are produced, differing with regard to their composition and respectively prepared to form streams of syngas.

A classified reduction gasification iron smelting process of iron ore powder and coal powder in a Y-type entrained flow bed. The process comprises the following steps: uniformly mixing the pre-reduced hot iron ore powder with the coal powder, and introducing the mixture, a gasification agent and water vapor into a Y-type entrained flow bed for performing combustion, gasification and reduction reaction to obtain crude syngas and molten iron; the crude syngas is used for sucking iron ore powder to enter a riser to perform preheating and partial reduction.

A process for the production of carburized sponge iron, including charging iron ore into a direct reduction shaft, and/or discharging carburized sponge iron from the direct reduction shaft, whereby a seal gas is introduced into the direct reduction shaft; removing a top gas from the direct reduction shaft; recycling a proportion of the top gas and mixing with a make-up gas to form a reducing gas; and introducing the reducing gas into the direct reduction shaft in countercurrent flow to the iron ore in order to reduce the iron ore and produce carburized sponge iron. The seal gas consists essentially of carbon dioxide, and the make-up gas comprises greater than 80 vol % hydrogen gas. Also provided is a system for the production of carburized sponge iron, as well as a carburized sponge iron produced by the aforementioned process.

The invention relates to the production of direct reduced iron, DRI, where a hydrogen direct reduction is synergistically operated in the context of an industrial plant. The hydrogen reduction operates with reducing gas comprising at least 85 vol. % hydrogen, and receives a make-up hydrogen stream. At least part of the make-up hydrogen stream is produced on site. by at least one of (i) electrolysis means configured to produce hydrogen from steam recovered from one or more components of the industrial plant and/or from steam generated using waste heat and/or hot gases emitted by the one or more components; and (ii) gas shift reactor means configured to convert CO-bearing gas emitted by at least one component of the industrial plant into hydrogen and to remove CO.sub.2.

A process for producing solid carbon and gaseous oxygen from CO.sub.2 via electrolysis using an electrolysis apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a chamber with an electrolyte inlet, an electrolyte outlet, a liquid electrolyte containing CO.sub.2 in the chamber, at least one cathode-anode pair, with the cathode including a liquid metal capable of catalysing reduction of CO.sub.2 to solid carbon at a selected operating temperature of the process. The process includes causing the electrolyte to flow from the inlet to the outlet in fluid communication with the cathode-anode pair, applying a voltage between the cathode-anode pair and causing solid carbon to form on the cathode from CO.sub.2 in the electrolyte and gaseous oxygen to be evolved at the anode from CO.sub.2 in the electrolyte.

A method of reduction of a metal oxide material and a metal material production configuration adapted for manufacture of reduced metal material, a metal oxide material production unit produces a metal oxide material holding thermal energy, a direct reduction facility is configured for introduction of a reducing agent adapted to react with the metal oxide material. The method includes the steps of; charging the metal oxide material, holding thermal energy; introducing the reducing agent; reducing the metal oxide material to reduced metal material by utilizing the thermal energy of the metal oxide material to heat or further heat the introduced reducing agent for achieving a chemical reaction; and discharging the reduced metal material from the direct reduction facility.

A direct reduction facility and a data program configured to execute an automatic or semi-automatic manufacture of reduced metal material ready to be transported to a metal production site.

A direct reduction method/system, including: adding variable amounts of natural gas, hydrogen, and a carbon-free oxidizing gas to a feed gas stream upstream of a reformer; reforming the feed gas stream in the reformer to form a reformed gas stream, and delivering the reformed gas stream to a shaft furnace, where the reformed gas stream is used to reduce a metallic ore material to a direct reduced metallic material. The feed gas stream includes a top gas stream recycled from the shaft furnace. Optionally, the carbon-free oxidizing gas includes steam and the method further includes controlling a steam flow rate of the steam to maintain a maximum k-factor value of the feed gas stream of 0.74 or lower. Optionally, the variable amount of hydrogen is selected to replace 20-90% of the natural gas by fuel value. The variable amount of hydrogen is selected based upon an available supply of hydrogen.