The present invention discloses a system and method for using a pressurized oxy-fired configuration to conduct metal reduction. The invention discloses a process for production of metal from metal oxide ore through reduction, comprising: (a) feeding a mixture of metal oxide ore, fuel and supply of oxygen into the inlet of a metallization reactor, (b) heating the mixture of metal oxide ore, oxygen and fuel in a primary reduction zone of the metallization reactor at a pressure exceeding ambient pressure to produce a product mixture; and (c) separating the product mixture in a gas separation unit at the bottom or downstream of the metallization reactor.

A flash ironmaking method is for use with a drop tube furnace that includes a susceptor and a muffle. The method includes feeding particles into the drop tube furnace, introducing hydrogen gas into the drop tube furnace so that it flows parallel to the falling particles, heating a susceptor using induction heating, so that the particles are heated as they fall through the susceptor, heating a muffle, to maintain the temperature of the particles as they fall through the muffle, and cooling the particles and hydrogen gas after they pass through the muffle.

A method and system for operating a seal gas compressor utilized in a direct reduction process including: monitoring a pH level of a water stream used in the seal gas compressor, wherein the pH level of the water stream is affected by a reformer flue gas stream that comes into contact with the water stream, wherein the monitoring step is carried out one or more of upstream of the seal gas compressor and downstream of the compressor; and adjusting the pH level of the water stream to maintain the pH level of the water stream within a predetermined range based on feedback from the monitoring step. The method includes maintaining the pH level of the water stream upstream of the seal gas compressor in a range between 7.5 and 10 and maintaining the pH level of the water stream downstream of the seal gas compressor in a range between 7.8 and 9.5.

A method and apparatus for producing direct reduced iron using a pre-treated make-up gas as a reducing agent in a direct reduced iron reactor are provided. The method involves pre-treating a stream of make-up gas containing heavy hydrocarbons by subjecting the stream to low temperature adiabatic reforming at a temperature between 300° C. and 600° C., prior to using the stream of make-up gas as a reducing agent for producing direct reduced iron. The method also involves adjusting the humidity content of the stream of make-up gas after the low temperature adiabatic reforming by bypassing the stream to selectively split it into a first part of the stream of make-up gas and a second part of the stream of make-up gas, subjecting the first part to water separation, and then mixing the first part with the second part to obtain a reducing stream to be sent to direct reduced iron production.

A raw material for direct reduction which is reduced in a shaft furnace includes a raw material, and a coating layer which coats the raw material and has a porosity of 20 volume % or more.

A cooling apparatus of hot briquetted iron is proposed. The cooling apparatus includes a cylindrical rotary body rotating while being inclined such that an outlet section through which cooled hot briquetted iron is discharged faces upwards, and including a water-level control plate formed under a hot-briquetted-iron charging section to retain a predetermined coolant; a blade formed along an inner circumferential surface of the rotary body to guide the hot briquetted iron introduced therein towards the outlet section; and a coolant spray module including a plurality of spray nozzles that differentially control an amount of the coolant sprayed inwards from the outlet section. The hot briquetted iron is primarily cooled by retained coolant, is guided by the blade, and is secondarily cooled by the coolant spray nozzles, thus maximizing cooling efficiency of the hot briquetted iron during a cooling process and thereby minimizing coolant consumption.

A method of operating a metallurgic plant for producing iron products includes the following steps, wherein the metallurgic plant includes a direct reduction plant and an ironmaking plant, the metallurgic plant: feeding an iron ore charge into the direct reduction plant to produce direct reduced iron products, operating the ironmaking plant to produce pig iron, wherein biochar is introduced into the ironmaking plant as reducing agent, and whereby the ironmaking plant generates offgas containing CO and CO2, and treating offgas from the ironmaking plant in a hydrogen enrichment unit to form a hydrogen-rich stream and a CO2-rich stream. The hydrogen-rich stream is fed directly or indirectly to the direct reduction plant. The CO2-rich stream is converted to be valorized in the direct reduction plant.

A corresponding metallurgic plant is also related.

The invention relates to a method for the direct reduction of oxidic iron carrier particles to a reduction product in a fluidized bed through which a reduction gas containing 30-100 mol % hydrogen H.sub.2 flows in crossflow. At least 90% by mass of oxidic iron carrier particles introduced into the fluidized bed have a particle size of less than or equal to 200 micrometers. The superficial velocity U of the reduction gas flowing through the fluidized bed is set between 0.05 m/s and 1 m/s such that, for the particle size d equal to d.sub.30 of the oxidic iron carrier particles introduced into the fluidized bed, it is above the theoretical suspension velocity U.sub.t and is less than or equal to U.sub.max.

A method for direct reduction of metal oxide-containing starting materials to produce metallized material by contact with hot reduction gas in a reduction unit (1), wherein the product of the direct reduction is discharged from the reduction unit (1) by means of a product discharge device (3) which is flushed with seal gas and from which vent gas is drawn and subsequently de-dusted. The vent gas is de-dusted dry and the content of at least one gaseous constituent is reduced by catalytic conversion or combustion. Also, a device for carrying out the method is disclosed.

The present invention provides a reduction system and method that can be operated with any proportion of gaseous hydrogen-containing gases and gaseous hydrocarbon-containing gases having the possibility of continuing its operation, ensuring an high process availability and negligible loss of production, when the gaseous hydrogen-containing gas for any reason is not available and allow the substitution of the gaseous hydrogen-containing gas with a gaseous hydrocarbon-containing gas with minor adjustments in the plant operation. The reduction system of the invention is designed to be implemented in new and already built direct reduction plants to operate efficiently and has lower capital and operation costs.