A process for processing metal ore includes: reducing a metal ore, particularly a metallic oxide, in a blast furnace shaft; producing furnace gas containing CO.sub.2, in the blast furnace shaft; discharging the furnace gas from the blast furnace shaft; directing at least a portion of the furnace gas directly or indirectly into a CO.sub.2-converter; and converting the CO.sub.2 contained in the furnace gas into an aerosol consisting of a carrier gas and C-particles in the CO.sub.2-converter in the presence of a stoichiometric surplus of C; directing at least a first portion of the aerosol from the CO.sub.2-converter into the blast furnace shaft; and introducing H.sub.2O into the blast furnace shaft. By virtue of the reaction C+H.sub.2O.fwdarw.CO.sub.2+2H, nascent hydrogen is produced in the blast furnace which causes rapid reduction of the metal ore. The speed of reduction of the metal ore is thus increased, and it is possible to increase either the throughput capacity of the blast furnace or to reduce the size of the blast furnace. An aerosol in the form of a fluid is easily introducible into the blast furnace shaft.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for the production of molten metals direct oxidative combustion of one or more solid fuels. The systems and methods may be combined with coal gasifiers and related components for reducing overall energy requirements as well as external fuel sources, e.g., through the use of endogenously-generated hydrogen. In beneficial aspects, components of the carbonaceous exhaust produced in accordance with the disclosed systems and methods, such as carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), may be isolated using carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) for reducing associated greenhouse gas emissions.

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.

A BF iron-ore reduction process for the production of iron and/or iron-carbon compounds with low environmental impact is described, in which a synthesis gas produced from a hydrocarbon stream with a short contact time-catalytic partial oxidation (SCT-CPO) process integrated with the iron-ore reduction process is also used in the BF.

The present disclosure relates to a method for producing steel in an integrated metallurgical plant comprising at least one direct reduction reactor for directly reducing iron ore to give sponge iron, at least one electric furnace for melting the sponge iron to give pig iron or crude steel, at least one blast furnace for smelting iron ore to give pig iron, and at least one converter for refining pig iron to give crude steel. In accordance with the invention, the process gas discharged from the direct reduction reactor is admixed at least partly to the hot blast air and/or at least partly to an optional charging material, said air and/or said material being blown into the blast furnace.

A method of operating a network of plants comprising a blast furnace, a direct reduction furnace, a CO2 conversion unit wherein blast furnace top gas is subjected to a CO2 conversion step to produce a liquid carbon product which is injected into the direct reduction furnace.

A process and a device for treating a flow of furnace gas with a pressure of more than 1 bar flowing through a channel. A powder agent, such as a powder comprising alkali reagents, such as lime, and/or absorbents, such as activated coal, is injected under an overpressure into the furnace gas flow via an injector which is positioned centrally within the channel The powder agent may be fluidized. The pressure for injecting the powder may be adjusted by controlling the volume of fluidization gas vented via a venting outlet.

Herein discussed is a method of producing hydrogen comprising introducing a metal smelter effluent gas or a basic oxygen furnace (BOF) effluent gas or a mixture thereof into an electrochemical (EC) reactor, wherein the EC reactor comprises a mixed-conducting membrane. In an embodiment, the method comprises introducing steam into the EC reactor on one side of the membrane, wherein the effluent gas is on the opposite side of the membrane, wherein the effluent gas and the steam are separated by the membrane and do not come in contact with each other.

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.

Method of operating a blast furnace installation comprising a top gas recycle blast furnace and hot stones, whereby a hydrocarbon containing fuel is transformed into a transformed gas stream consisting mainly of CO and H.sub.2 and substantially devoid of hydrocarbon, whereby a low-heating-value gaseous fuel is generated comprising a mixture of the transformed gas with a portion of the CO.sub.2-rich tail gas obtained by decarbonatation of the blast furnace gas, and whereby the low-heating-value fuel is used to heat the hot furnace gas is heated before being injected into the blast-furnace.