A rotary hearth furnace includes a unit that supplies an agglomerate onto a hearth of the rotary hearth furnace, a unit that discharges a heated substance which has been heated in the rotary hearth furnace to the outside of the furnace, and a unit that discharges an exhaust gas in the rotary hearth furnace to the outside of the furnace. The rotary hearth furnace has a heating section and a non-heating section. The unit that discharges an exhaust gas to the outside of the furnace is provided in the non-heating section. A unit that takes an outside air into the furnace is provided in the non-heating section and on an upstream side in a flow direction of the exhaust gas from the unit that discharges exhaust gas to the outside of the furnace.

A raw material supply apparatus that supplies a raw material into a flash smelting furnace and supplies a first gas contributing to a reaction of the raw material into the flash smelting furnace, includes: a raw material passage that is provided out of a lance through which the first gas passes, the raw material passing through the raw material passage; and an adjuster that adjusts a distribution of the raw material by blowing a second gas to the raw material passing through the raw material passage.

A raw material supply apparatus that supplies a raw material into a flash smelting furnace and supplies a first gas contributing to a reaction of the raw material into the flash smelting furnace, includes: a raw material passage that is provided out of a lance through which the first gas passes, the raw material passing through the raw material passage; and an adjuster that adjusts a distribution of the raw material by blowing a second gas to the raw material passing through the raw material passage.

Plant for melting metal materials comprising at least a heating unit (11) provided with a container (13) to contain the mainly metal materials and with at least an induction heating device (22) configured to heat the mainly metal materials contained in the container (13). The plant also comprises a transfer unit (25) disposed downstream of the heating unit (11) and configured to move, substantially continuously, the mainly metal solid materials exiting from the heating unit (11) to a melting furnace (12). The container (13) is provided with an aperture (16) through which the mainly metal material, heated and in a solid state, is discharged onto the transfer unit (25), and opening/closing members (17) are associated with the aperture (16), commanded by an actuator (19) and configured to open, close and choke the aperture (16) in order to regulate the delivery of the metal materials that is discharged onto the transfer unit (25).

Apparatus to heat and transfer mainly metal materials to a melting furnace (12), the apparatus comprising a transporter device (13) configured to move the materials continuously to the melting furnace (12), and at least an induction heating unit (28) associated with the transporter device (13) and configured to heat by electromagnetic induction the materials moved in the transporter device (13), keeping them in a solid state.

Apparatus to heat and transfer mainly metal materials to a melting furnace (12), the apparatus comprising a transporter device (13) configured to move the materials continuously to the melting furnace (12), and at least an induction heating unit (28) associated with the transporter device (13) and configured to heat by electromagnetic induction the materials moved in the transporter device (13), keeping them in a solid state.

A process for heating a metal feedstock (31) fed in continuous to a smelting furnace (30) through a second horizontal heating section (34) through which hot discharge fumes collected from said furnace (30) pass, said fumes exerting a heating phase of said feedstock (31), characterized in that, immediately before entering said second heating section (34), the feedstock (31) is subjected to a preheating phase by heating means other than the discharge fumes collected from the smelting furnace (30). In a plant for the embodiment of said process, said different heating means are envisaged inside a first preheating section (33), which is operatively connected with said second heating section (34) by means of an intermediate fume evacuation section (35), the fumes coming from said sections (33) and (34) being conveyed to said section. Said sections (33, 34) preferably have a tunnel configuration.

The invention relates to a charging installation (1) of a metallurgical reactor, with a cooling assembly (4) disposed for cooling a reactor side of the charging installation (1). In order to facilitate the installation and maintenance of a heat protection shield in a charging installation of a metallurgical reactor, the cooling assembly (4) comprises a plurality of cooling panels (10), each cooling panel (10) comprising at least one coolant channel (12). The channel (12) is formed as a groove in the base plate (11), which groove is covered by a cover plate (13) mounted on the base plate (11).

The invention relates to a charging installation (1) of a metallurgical reactor, with a cooling assembly (4) disposed for cooling a reactor side of the charging installation (1). In order to facilitate the installation and maintenance of a heat protection shield in a charging installation of a metallurgical reactor, the cooling assembly (4) comprises a plurality of cooling panels (10), each cooling panel (10) comprising at least one coolant channel (12). The channel (12) is formed as a groove in the base plate (11), which groove is covered by a cover plate (13) mounted on the base plate (11).

A raw material supply apparatus that supplies a raw material into a flash smelting furnace and supplies a first gas contributing to a reaction of the raw material into the flash smelting furnace, includes: a raw material passage that is provided out of a lance through which the first gas passes, the raw material passing through the raw material passage; and an adjuster that adjusts a distribution of the raw material by blowing a second gas to the raw material passing through the raw material passage.