A cooling system for use in support of a pyro-metallurgical furnace includes a liquid heat transfer fluid blend of 10%-50% water with monoethylene glycol (MEG), diethylene glycol (DEG), or triethylene glycol (TEG), and corrosion inhibitors. When using such glycols, a minimum of 10% water prevents the heat transfer fluid from becoming too viscous for economical pumping, and a maximum of 50% water prevents BLEVE incidents inside the furnace. Such intrinsically safe cooling system circulates the liquid heat transfer fluid blend with an optimally sized pump, filtration, pressurization, and at flow velocities sufficient to avoid film boiling.

A method for refining hot metal in a converter using a top-blowing lance having a refining powder supply channel, a combustion oxidizing gas supply channel, and a refining oxidizing gas supply channel that are separate from each other includes supplying at least one of a lime-based flux, iron oxide, and a combustible material as a refining powder from the refining powder supply channel to a surface of the hot metal using a fuel gas or a mixture of the fuel gas and an inert gas as a carrier gas while supplying a combustion oxidizing gas from the combustion oxidizing gas supply channel to form a flame below a leading end of the top-blowing lance, and supplying a refining oxidizing gas from the refining oxidizing gas supply channel to the surface of the hot metal.

A lance for top injection of a fluid in metallurgical vessels comprises an inner tube, a refractory sheath surrounding the inner tube, an anchoring point rigidly coupled to said inner tube and at least partially embedded in the refractory sheath, an annular gap separating the inner tube from the refractory sheath; at least one annular guide surrounding the inner tube and comprising: an annular portion circumscribing the inner tube, and at least two anchor protrusions rigidly extending transversally from the annular portion and at least partially embedded in the refractory sheath, wherein a guide gap is formed between the annular portion and an outer surface of the inner tube. The at least two anchor protrusions are distributed over the external surface of the annular portion, separated from one another by an angle comprised between 90 and 270.

A method of removing a blockage in a solids injection lance under normal operating conditions of a direct smelting vessel is disclosed. The direct smelting vessel contains a bath of molten metal and slag and the solids injection lance extends into the direct smelting vessel and has an outlet end that is submerged in the molten slag. The solids injection lance further has a single inlet coupled to a section of supply line that conveys gas and solid feed material to the solids injection lance. The method comprises (a) advancing a blockage-removing tool through the supply line section and through the solids injection lance to an upstream side of the blockage, (b) operating the tool under elevated gas pressure conditions to remove the blockage such that solid feed material and gas are able to flow through the solids injection lance. The method further comprises (c) retracting the tool from the solids injection lance and the supply line section. Also disclosed is an apparatus for removing a blockage in a solids injection lance extending into a direct smelting vessel.

A method for manufacturing pig iron in a smelting furnace including a vessel, the method including-the following successive steps: loading DRI product in the vessel, melting the DRI product to form a pig iron layer topped by a slag layer, and injecting a carbon containing material directly in the pig iron layer. It also deals with the manufacturing of steel from the pig iron and an associated electrical smelting furnace.

A method for manufacturing pig iron in an electrical smelting furnace including a vessel, the method including the following successive steps: loading DRI product in the vessel, melting the DRI product to form a pig iron layer topped by a slag layer, and injecting a desulphurizing reagent directly in the pig iron layer. It also deals with the manufacturing of steel from the pig iron and the associated electrical smelting furnace.