In some variations, the invention provides a biocarbon pellet comprising: 35 wt % to 99 wt % of a biogenic reagent, wherein the biogenic reagent comprises, on a dry basis, at least 60 wt % carbon; 0 wt % to 35 wt % water moisture; and 1 wt % to 30 wt % of a binder, wherein the biocarbon pellet is characterized by an adjustable Hardgrove Grindability Index (HGI) from about 30 to about 120, as shown in the Examples. The pellet HGI is adjustable by controlling process conditions and the pellet binder. The binder can be an organic binder or an inorganic binder. The carbon is renewable as determined from a measurement of the .sup.14C/.sup.12C isotopic ratio. Many processes of making and using the biocarbon pellets are described. Applications of the biocarbon pellets include pulverized coal boilers, furnaces for making metals such as iron or silicon, and gasifiers for producing reducing gas.

A method of heating up a furnace bottom and a burner lance used in the method are proposed. The method of heating up the furnace bottom includes a step of opening, in the tap hole, a burner lance insertion hole having a diameter larger than a diameter of the burner lance so as to penetrate into the furnace, a step of installing the burner lance in the opened burner lance insertion hole, a step of filling a gap between the installed burner lance and a furnace exterior side of the tap hole with a refractory, and a step of blowing in gas for heating into the furnace from the burner lance to heat up the furnace bottom.

A system for reducing ore includes a hydrogen supply unit configured to supply hydrogen, a furnace configured to reduce the ore using the supplied hydrogen, and a hydrogen recovery unit configured to recover hydrogen from an exhaust gas that is exhausted from the furnace.

Improved processes and systems are disclosed for producing renewable hydrogen suitable for reducing metal ores, as well as for producing activated carbon. Some variations provide a process comprising: pyrolyzing biomass to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas; converting the pyrolysis off-gas to additional reducing gas and/or heat; reacting at least some of the biogenic reagent with a reactant to generate a reducing gas; and chemically reducing a metal oxide in the presence of the reducing gas. Some variations provide a process for producing renewable hydrogen by biomass pyrolysis to generate a biogenic reagent, conversion of the biogenic reagent to a reducing gas, and separation and recovery of hydrogen from the reducing gas. A reducing-gas composition for reducing a metal oxide is provided, comprising renewable hydrogen according to a hydrogen-isotope analysis. Reacted biogenic reagent may also be recovered as an activated carbon product. Many variations are disclosed.

A blast furnace operation method according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a process of acquiring a correlation between a carbon consumption in reducing gas and a reduction InputΔC in specific carbon consumption caused by blowing the reducing gas into the blast furnace per molar ratio C/H of carbon atoms to hydrogen atoms in the reducing gas; a process of determining a carbon consumption in the reducing gas where the reduction InputΔC in specific carbon consumption is a predetermined target value or higher on the basis of the correlation acquired per C/H; and a process of adjusting the amount of the reducing gas blown into the blast furnace on the basis of the determined carbon consumption in the reducing gas and the carbon proportion in the reducing gas.

The present document describes a smelting apparatus for smelting metallic ore. The smelting apparatus comprises a furnace having a continuous curved wall and end walls defining a longitudinal volume having a longitudinal axis in a horizontal direction. The continuous curved wall has a lowermost area. The longitudinal volume is divided in at least three longitudinal layers comprising a top layer within which gasified fuel is combusted for creating a hot gas composition at a temperature sufficient to release, from the metallic ore, at least molten metal and slag, a lowermost layer at the lowermost area for holding molten metal, and a mid-layer above the lowermost layer in which the slag accumulates. The present document also describes processes using the smelting apparatus for producing ferrous and non-ferrous minerals from a metallic ore.

A production method of pig iron using a blast furnace with a tuyere includes: charging a first layer containing an iron ore material and a second layer containing coke alternately in the blast furnace; and reducing and melting the iron ore material in the charged first layer while injecting an auxiliary reductant into the blast furnace by hot air blown from the tuyere, in which: an aggregate for letting through the hot air to a central portion of the blast furnace is blended into the first layer; and the aggregate contains a reduced iron molded product obtained through compression molding of reduced iron.

A device to inject a reducing gas into a shaft furnace including an external casing whose front face is provided with an outlet for gas injection into the shaft furnace, an internal casing located inside the external casing and made of a steel able to resist to a temperature up to 1200° C., this internal casing having an opening matching the gas injection outlet of the front face of the external casing and a refractory layer located between the external casing and the internal casing.

A device to inject a reducing gas into a shaft furnace includes an external casing whose front face is provided with an outlet for gas injection into the shaft furnace, an internal casing located inside the external casing wherein reducing gas is circulating. The internal casing has an opening matching the gas injection outlet of the front face of the external casing. The front face of the external casing includes an upper and a lower part and the gas injection outlet is in the lower part and inwards from the upper part.

A blast furnace for ironmaking production wherein iron ore is at least partly reduced by a reducing gas which is injected in the stack of the blast furnace. The blast furnace includes an external and an internal wall, having a thickness T.sub.int, in contact with matters charged into the blast furnace. The thickness T.sub.int of the internal wall is substantially constant above and below the injection area of a reducing gas.