Converting process with partial pre-oxidation of PGM collector alloy. The process includes partially pre-oxidizing a raw alloy, introducing an initial charge of the partially pre-oxidized alloy into a converter pot, melting the initial charge, introducing converter feed to the pool, oxygen injection into the pool, tapping the slag, and tapping the PGM-enriched alloy. The collector alloy contains no less than 0.5 wt % PGM, 40 wt % iron, and 0.5 wt % nickel, and no more than 3 wt % sulfur and 3 wt % copper. The process can also include low- or no-flux converting; using a refractory protectant in the converter; magnetic separation of slag; recycling part of the slag to the converter; smelting catalyst material in a primary furnace to produce the collector alloy; and/or smelting the converter slag in a secondary furnace with slag from the primary furnace.

A dry composition formulated to be combined with water to form a jamb spray mix, the dry composition comprising, by weight: 0.1% to 10% phosphate by weight based on total weight of the dry composition; 5% to 15% plasticizer by weight based on total weight of the dry composition; and the balance including fused silica particles and impurities.

Device for inserting a refractory block into a taphole structure of a metallurgical vessel, in particular a basic oxygen furnace wherein the refractory block is carried by a mounting unit and has a proximate end introducable into the taphole. A distal end with locking elements, which can be coupled to a locking plate of the vessel, is disposed at the outside of the taphole of the vessel. The refractory block can be introduced into the taphole structure until the locking elements of the mounting unit can be attached to and coupled with the coupling head with a manipulator. This mounting unit can be uncoupled with the manipulator, when the refractory block is mortared and fixed in the lining, whereby the mounting unit can be decoupled and removed solely out of the taphole to enable refractory block replacement and gunning of refractory material from the inside of the furnace more easily.

A jamb spray mix comprising: 0.1% to 10% phosphate by weight based on total weight of dry ingredients in the mix, 5% to 15% plasticizer by weight based on total weight of dry ingredients in the mix, the balance of dry ingredients including fused silica particles and impurities, and at least 20% water by weight based on total weight of the mix. In certain non-limiting embodiments, a coating of the jamb spray mix is applied to a refractory brick surface region in a coke oven using an air pressurized applicator and associated nozzle.

A lining machine that includes a base frame, a rail group, a feed apparatus, a lift apparatus and a working platform, the rail group being mechanically fastened to the base frame and the rail group having at least one rail arrangement. The lift apparatus has a roller carriage and a lift unit located on the roller carriage, the roller carriage being provided on the rail arrangement so as to be movable between an installation position and an operating position. The lift unit is connected to the working platform and is designed to lower the working platform into the converter via the converter opening, and the feed apparatus has a roller conveyor, one end of which ends at the lift apparatus.

A jamb spray mix comprising: 0.1% to 10% phosphate by weight based on total weight of dry ingredients in the mix, 5% to 15% plasticizer by weight based on total weight of dry ingredients in the mix, the balance of dry ingredients including fused silica particles and impurities, and at least 20% water by weight based on total weight of the mix. In certain non-limiting embodiments, a coating of the jamb spray mix is applied to a refractory brick surface region in a coke oven using an air pressurized applicator and associated nozzle.

A refractory unit for lining a high temperature vessel includes a refractory body formed from a refractory material. The refractory body has an upper main surface, a lower main surface, an inner surface configurable to face a high temperature chamber, an outer surface configurable to face away from the high temperature chamber, a first side surface and a second side surface. An elastic member is attached to the outer surface.

Method for determining the state of a fire-resistant lining of a vessel containing molten metal in particular in which maintenance data, production data, and wall thicknesses at least at locations with the highest degree of wear are measured or ascertained together with additional process parameters of at least one identical/similar vessel after the vessel has been used. The data is collected and stored in a data structure. A calculating model is generated from at least some of the measured or ascertained data or parameters, and the data or parameters are evaluated using the calculating model using calculations and subsequent analyses. Thus, related or integral ascertaining processes and subsequent analyses can be carried out, on the basis of which optimizations relating to both the vessel lining as well as the complete process of the molten metal in the vessel are achieved.

An electrode seal for use in a metallurgical furnace, the furnace comprising a furnace space heated by electrodes extending through an aperture into the furnace space. The electrode seal comprises at least three sets of shoes in consecutive lateral contact, each shoe having a biasing member for biasing a surface of the shoe toward one of the electrodes thereby allowing the one electrode to longitudinally move within the electrode seal while providing electrical insulation between the electrode and the aperture.

The invention relates to a method and to a device for repairing the spout sleeve (6) of a metallurgical vessel which is fitted securely within the refractory lining (4, 5) of the vessel (1). According to the invention the sleeve is repaired by applying mortar to the casting channel (7) of the sleeve (6) with a mortar dispenser (9) that can be inserted into the casting channel (7), which upon removing the mortar dispenser from the casting channel calibrates the latter over the entire length of the channel. The mortar dispenser (9) is driven rotating coaxially to the casting channel (7) during the mortar application and, after a defined time, is removed from the casting channel (7), still rotating. The method is particularly suitable for repairing the inner sleeve of a casting ladle with a slide closure adjoining the ladle spout, maintenance of which is automatically carried out in a maintenance station of the casting facility. In this case the invention makes provision such that the repair of the inner sleeve is also carried out automatically here during the maintenance of the slide closure.