Apparatus for the production of molten iron including a metallurgical vessel, having a surrounding wall, a cyclone part provided on top of a smelt reduction part, the cyclone part being in open connection with the smelt reduction part and having at least one supply apparatus around the circumference of the surrounding wall adjusted to introduce oxygen gas into the cyclone part, wherein the at least one supply apparatus is further adjusted to introduce a mixture of oxygen gas and a combustible gas.

Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for producing composite pellets comprising a core comprising: iron ore and a carbonaceous reducing agent; and a shell comprising: iron ore; and having a core and shell transition in a manner such that no visible boundary exists between the core and the shell in a cross-section of the pellet. The methods can be used to produce composite pellets with improved productivity and quality, and the resulting composite pellets can be used to produce direct reduced iron (DRI).

Disclosed is a single-chamber furnace for fuming an evaporable metal or metal compound from a metallurgical charge including a bath furnace for containing a molten charge up to a determined level, the furnace being equipped with a non-transferred plasma torch for the generation of plasma and a first submerged injector for injecting the plasma below the determined level, the furnace further including an afterburning zone to form an oxidized form of the at least one evaporable metal or metal compound, and a recovery zone for recovering the oxidized form from the gas formed in the afterburning zone, whereby the furnace is further equipped with a second submerged injector for injecting extra gas into the furnace below the determined level. Further disclosed is the use of the furnace and a process for fuming an evaporable metal or metal compound from a metallurgical charge.

Metallurgical assemblies and systems according to the present technology may include a refractory vessel including sides and a base. The base may define a plurality of apertures centrally located within the base. The sides and the base may at least partially define an interior volume of the refractory vessel. The assemblies may include a lid removably coupled with the refractory vessel and configured to form a seal with the refractory vessel. The lid may define a plurality of apertures through the lid. The assemblies may also include a current collector proximate the base of the refractory vessel. The current collector may include conductive extensions positioned within the plurality of apertures centrally located within the base.

The present invention relates to an ironmaking feedstock comprising a solid CaFe.sub.3O.sub.5 phase. The ironmaking feedstock may be produced by a process comprising reacting a combination of a calcium source and magnetite at elevated temperature under reducing conditions sufficient to produce the solid CaFe.sub.3O.sub.5 phase. The product may be in the form of agglomerates such as pellets, with a compressive strength such that the product is suitable for transportation.

A process for the production of direct reduced iron (DRI), with or without carbon, using hydrogen, where the hydrogen is produced utilizing water generated internally from the process. The process is characterized by containing either one or two gas loops, one for affecting the reduction of the oxide and another for affecting the carburization of the DRI. The primary loop responsible for reduction recirculates used gas from the shaft furnace in a loop including a dry dedusting step, an oxygen removal step to generate the hydrogen, and a connection to the shaft furnace for reduction. In the absence of a second loop, this loop, in conjunction with natural gas addition, can be used to deposit carbon. A secondary carburizing loop installed downstream of the shaft furnace can more finely control carbon addition. This loop includes a reactor vessel, a dedusting step, and a gas separation unit.

A process for the production of direct reduced iron (DRI), with or without carbon, using hydrogen, where the hydrogen is produced utilizing water generated internally from the process. The process is characterized by containing either one or two gas loops, one for affecting the reduction of the oxide and another for affecting the carburization of the DRI. The primary loop responsible for reduction recirculates used gas from the shaft furnace in a loop including a dry dedusting step, an oxygen removal step to generate the hydrogen, and a connection to the shaft furnace for reduction. In the absence of a second loop, this loop, in conjunction with natural gas addition, can be used to deposit carbon. A secondary carburizing loop installed downstream of the shaft furnace can more finely control carbon addition. This loop includes a reactor vessel, a dedusting step, and a gas separation unit.

A method for iron making by continuous smelting reduction, including: (1) mixing iron- containing mineral powder with a reducing agent and a slag former to obtain mixed powder materials; (2) placing furnace startup materials in a reducing furnace, and heating the furnace startup materials to be in a molten state to form a furnace startup molten pool; (3) conveying the mixed powder materials into the reducing furnace, and blowing oxidizing combustibles into the reducing furnace for heating; (4) performing stirring by a stirring paddle to form a molten slag layer and a molten iron layer; and performing stirring so that a vortex is formed in the molten slag layer; and (5) adjusting a position of the stirring paddle, a stirring speed and a conveying quantity of the mixed powder materials to enable the molten iron and the reduced molten slag to be respectively continuously discharged.

A continuous process provides direct reduction of iron ore in a solid state. Briquettes of iron ore fragments and biomass are transported through a preheating chamber and preheated to a temperature of at least 400° C. The preheated briquettes are transported through a heating/reduction chamber that has an anoxic environment, and iron ore and biomass in the briquettes are exposed to electromagnetic energy in the form of microwave energy under anoxic conditions. Microwave energy generates heat within iron ore, and biomass acts as a reductant and reduces iron ore in a solid state, as the briquettes move through the heating/reduction chamber.

It is the object of the present invention to present a cell for extracting oxygen from lunar regolith via Molten Oxide Electrolysis, comprising (i) a cathode, (ii) an anode and (iii) a crucible, wherein the anode is characterized as at least partially liquid. The anode may be constructed from palladium, lead, silver, gold, platinum tantalum, or from a mixture.