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, tapping the pig iron into a ladle, and adding a carbon containing material directly in the pig iron in the runner of at least one of the smelting furnace tap holes. It also deals with the manufacturing of steel from the pig iron and the associated electrical smelting furnace.

A load lock system for manufacturing a metal alloy using a feed material includes a process chamber having a controlled atmosphere, a feed chamber in flow communication with the process chamber having controlled atmosphere capabilities configured to contain a quantity of the feed material, and a collection chamber in flow communication with the process chamber having controlled atmosphere capabilities configured to collect the metal alloy manufactured in the process chamber. The system also includes a gate valve between the process chamber and the feed chamber configured to either allow passage of the feed material between the chambers, or to seal the process chamber from the feed chamber. The system also includes a discharge valve between the process chamber and the collection chamber configured to either allow passage of the metal alloy between the chambers, or to seal the process chamber from the collection chamber.

A load lock system for manufacturing a metal alloy using a feed material includes a process chamber having a controlled atmosphere, a feed chamber in flow communication with the process chamber having controlled atmosphere capabilities configured to contain a quantity of the feed material, and a collection chamber in flow communication with the process chamber having controlled atmosphere capabilities configured to collect the metal alloy manufactured in the process chamber. The system also includes a gate valve between the process chamber and the feed chamber configured to either allow passage of the feed material between the chambers, or to seal the process chamber from the feed chamber. The system also includes a discharge valve between the process chamber and the collection chamber configured to either allow passage of the metal alloy between the chambers, or to seal the process chamber from the collection chamber.

A system for melting metals includes a heating chamber configured to contain a molten metal, a wet hearth melting chamber, and a pump. The wet hearth melting chamber includes a wet hearth inlet, a wet hearth outlet, and a refractory shelf having a top surface. The refractory shelf has a plurality of rails disposed on top of the top surface and spaced apart from one another to form flow channels. The wet hearth melting chamber has an inlet channel fluidly coupling the wet hearth inlet to the top surface of the refractory shelf and an outlet channel fluidly coupling the top surface of the refractory shelf to the wet hearth outlet. The pump is in an inlet flow path between the heating chamber and the wet hearth melting chamber and is configured to pump molten metal from the heating chamber through the wet hearth melting chamber.

A system for melting metals includes a heating chamber configured to contain a molten metal, a wet hearth melting chamber, and a pump. The wet hearth melting chamber includes a wet hearth inlet, a wet hearth outlet, and a refractory shelf having a top surface. The refractory shelf has a plurality of rails disposed on top of the top surface and spaced apart from one another to form flow channels. The wet hearth melting chamber has an inlet channel fluidly coupling the wet hearth inlet to the top surface of the refractory shelf and an outlet channel fluidly coupling the top surface of the refractory shelf to the wet hearth outlet. The pump is in an inlet flow path between the heating chamber and the wet hearth melting chamber and is configured to pump molten metal from the heating chamber through the wet hearth melting chamber.