A method and an installation (10) for removing slag allows both slag removal and metal recovery from slag (60) to be performed quickly and easily. The risk of slag fires is reduced.

Converting process with slag separation and recycle to the converter. The process includes introducing converter feed into the pot holding a molten alloy pool, oxygen injection into the pool, tapping the slag, and tapping the PGM-enriched alloy. The collector alloy contains no less than 0.5 wt % PGM, 40 wt % iron, and 0.5 wt % nickel, and no more than 3 wt % sulfur and 3 wt % copper, and the recovered slag is separated into recycle and non-recycle portions. The recycle slag portion preferably contains more PGM than the non-recycle portion. The process can also include low- or no-flux converting; using a refractory protectant in the converter; magnetic separation of slag; partial pre-oxidation of the converter feed; smelting catalyst material in a primary furnace to produce the collector alloy; and/or smelting the converter slag in a secondary furnace with slag from the primary furnace.

Converting process with partial pre-oxidation of PGM collector alloy. The process includes partially pre-oxidizing a raw alloy, introducing an initial charge of the partially pre-oxidized alloy into a converter pot, melting the initial charge, introducing converter feed to the pool, oxygen injection into the pool, tapping the slag, and tapping the PGM-enriched alloy. The collector alloy contains no less than 0.5 wt % PGM, 40 wt % iron, and 0.5 wt % nickel, and no more than 3 wt % sulfur and 3 wt % copper. The process can also include low- or no-flux converting; using a refractory protectant in the converter; magnetic separation of slag; recycling part of the slag to the converter; smelting catalyst material in a primary furnace to produce the collector alloy; and/or smelting the converter slag in a secondary furnace with slag from the primary furnace.

Jacketed rotary converter. The converter includes an inclined pot mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis, a refractory lining for holding a molten alloy pool, an opening in a top of the pot for introducing feed, a lance for injecting oxygen-containing gas, a heat transfer jacket for the pot adjacent the refractory lining, and a coolant system to circulate a heat transfer medium through the jacket to remove heat from the alloy pool in thermal communication with the refractory lining. Also disclosed is a PGM converting process using the jacketed rotary converter. The process can also include low- or no-flux converting; refractory protectant addition; slag separation; partial feed pre-oxidation; staged slagging; and/or smelting the slag in a secondary furnace with primary furnace slag.

PGM converting process with staged slagging. The process includes melting an initial collector alloy charge to start a converter cycle, introducing feed and injecting oxygen into the alloy pool, allowing ferrous slag to collect, terminating feed introduction and oxygen injection to tap the slag, repeating the feed introduction/oxygen injection/slag tapping sequence a plurality of times, and then tapping the alloy to end the cycle. A delay before non-final slag tappings allows any entrained alloy to settle back into the alloy pool, but the final slag tapping is commenced promptly and alloy is optionally entrained. Slag from the final tapping that may contain entrained alloy can be recycled to the converter, e.g., in a subsequent cycle. The process can also include low- or no-flux converting; refractory protectant addition; slag separation; partial feed pre-oxidation; smelting the slag in a secondary furnace with primary furnace slag; and/or jacketing the converter.

Integrated PGM converting process. The process includes smelting a catalyst material in a primary furnace, smelting the primary furnace slag in a secondary furnace, converting the collector alloys from the primary and secondary furnaces in a converter to recover PGM enriched alloy and converter slag, separating the recovered converter slag into first and second converter slag portions, and supplying the first converter slag portion to the secondary furnace for smelting with the primary furnace slag. The process can also include low- or no-flux converting; refractory protectant addition; magnetic slag separation; partial feed pre-oxidation; staged slagging; and/or jacketing the converter.

Converting process with slag separation and recycle to the converter. The process includes introducing converter feed into the pot holding a molten alloy pool, oxygen injection into the pool, tapping the slag, and tapping the PGM-enriched alloy. The collector alloy contains no less than 0.5 wt % PGM, 40 wt % iron, and 0.5 wt % nickel, and no more than 3 wt % sulfur and 3 wt % copper, and the recovered slag is separated into recycle and non-recycle portions. The recycle slag portion preferably contains more PGM than the non-recycle portion. The process can also include low- or no-flux converting; using a refractory protectant in the converter; magnetic separation of slag; partial pre-oxidation of the converter feed; smelting catalyst material in a primary furnace to produce the collector alloy; and/or smelting the converter slag in a secondary furnace with slag from the primary furnace.

Converting process with partial pre-oxidation of PGM collector alloy. The process includes partially pre-oxidizing a raw alloy, introducing an initial charge of the partially pre-oxidized alloy into a converter pot, melting the initial charge, introducing converter feed to the pool, oxygen injection into the pool, tapping the slag, and tapping the PGM-enriched alloy. The collector alloy contains no less than 0.5 wt % PGM, 40 wt % iron, and 0.5 wt % nickel, and no more than 3 wt % sulfur and 3 wt % copper. The process can also include low- or no-flux converting; using a refractory protectant in the converter; magnetic separation of slag; recycling part of the slag to the converter; smelting catalyst material in a primary furnace to produce the collector alloy; and/or smelting the converter slag in a secondary furnace with slag from the primary furnace.

The invention relates to fluxing agents for the agglomeration process based on slag from the secondary metallurgy, the use of these fluxing agents in the process of agglomeration in the manufacture of the agglomerate designed for the use as a metallic charge in blast furnaces and a process of production of fluxing agents based on slag from the secondary metallurgy or based on a mixture of slag from the secondary metallurgy with other materials.

The invention relates to fluxing agents for the agglomeration process based on slag from the secondary metallurgy, the use of these fluxing agents in the process of agglomeration in the manufacture of the agglomerate designed for the use as a metallic charge in blast furnaces and a process of production of fluxing agents based on slag from the secondary metallurgy or based on a mixture of slag from the secondary metallurgy with other materials.