A direct reduction plant is disclosed. The direct reduction plant includes an oxygen injection system, a reformer, and a shaft furnace. The oxygen injection system includes an oxygen injection reactor and a main oxygen burner. The oxygen injection reactor is adapted to receive a gas mixture. The main oxygen burner is adapted to increase a temperature of the gas mixture by burning a mixture of fuel and oxygen fed to the main oxygen burner. The reformer is adapted to reform the gas mixture with the increased temperature. The shaft furnace is adapted to reduce iron ore using the reformed gas mixture.

The instant invention relates to a metallurgical furnace, comprising at least one upper stack (1), at least one lower stack (2), at least one fuel feeder positioned substantially between at least one upper stack (1) and the at least one lower stack (2), at least one row of tuy?res (3, 4) positioned in at least one of the at least one upper stack (1) and at least one lower stack (2), the at least one row of tuy?res (3, 4) providing a fluid communication between the inside of the furnace and the external environment, positioned in at least one of at least one upper stack (1) and at least one lower stack (2), and further comprising at least one permeabilizing fuel column fed through at least one hood (6), placed in the upper stack (1), which extends longitudinally through the furnace.

The instant invention relates to a metallurgical furnace, comprising at least one upper stack (1), at least one lower stack (2), at least one fuel feeder positioned substantially between at least one upper stack (1) and the at least one lower stack (2), at least one row of tuy?res (3, 4) positioned in at least one of the at least one upper stack (1) and at least one lower stack (2), the at least one row of tuy?res (3, 4) providing a fluid communication between the inside of the furnace and the external environment, positioned in at least one of at least one upper stack (1) and at least one lower stack (2), and further comprising at least one permeabilizing fuel column fed through at least one hood (6), placed in the upper stack (1), which extends longitudinally through the furnace.

A direct reduction method/system, including: adding variable amounts of natural gas, hydrogen, and a carbon-free oxidizing gas to a feed gas stream upstream of a reformer; reforming the feed gas stream in the reformer to form a reformed gas stream, and delivering the reformed gas stream to a shaft furnace, where the reformed gas stream is used to reduce a metallic ore material to a direct reduced metallic material. The feed gas stream includes a top gas stream recycled from the shaft furnace. Optionally, the carbon-free oxidizing gas includes steam and the method further includes controlling a steam flow rate of the steam to maintain a maximum k-factor value of the feed gas stream of 0.74 or lower. Optionally, the variable amount of hydrogen is selected to replace 20-90% of the natural gas by fuel value. The variable amount of hydrogen is selected based upon an available supply of hydrogen.

A direct reduction method/system, including: adding variable amounts of natural gas, hydrogen, and a carbon-free oxidizing gas to a feed gas stream upstream of a reformer; reforming the feed gas stream in the reformer to form a reformed gas stream, and delivering the reformed gas stream to a shaft furnace, where the reformed gas stream is used to reduce a metallic ore material to a direct reduced metallic material. The feed gas stream includes a top gas stream recycled from the shaft furnace. Optionally, the carbon-free oxidizing gas includes steam and the method further includes controlling a steam flow rate of the steam to maintain a maximum k-factor value of the feed gas stream of 0.74 or lower. Optionally, the variable amount of hydrogen is selected to replace 20-90% of the natural gas by fuel value. The variable amount of hydrogen is selected based upon an available supply of hydrogen.

Foundry coke products, and associated methods and systems for melting iron in a cupola furnace with the coke products are disclosed herein. A representative method can include receiving a population of coke products and iron in a cupola furnace, and melting the iron in the cupola furnace to form molten iron having a carbon content higher than a carbon content of the received iron. The coke products can comprise (i) an elongate shape including a length:width dimension of at least 1.5:1, (ii) an ash fusion temperature of no more than 2400? F., and/or (iii) a coke reactivity index (CRI) of at least 30%.

The invention relates to a method for producing rock wool and cast iron by melting a mixture of materials such as basalt, blast-furnace slag, coke and components necessary for melting, with an admixture containing alumina, said admixture making it possible to adjust the alumina content in order to obtain a rock wool having the following composition (as wt %): Al2O3: 18-22; SiO2: 40-50; CaO: 10-15; MgO: <10; FeO: <2; Na2O: <4; K2O: <2. The method includes the following operations: producing by melting a slag and a cast iron, separating the slag and the cast iron, and performing a fibring operation on the slag followed by a bonding operation in order to obtain the rock wool. According to the invention, at least one spent adsorbent and/or catalyst is used as an admixture, said catalyst containing alumina in Al2O3 form. Said adsorbent and/or catalyst preferably contains at least one metal, and said metal is retrieved in the cast iron.

A molten bath-based direct smelting process includes controlling the process conditions in a direct smelting vessel so that molten slag in a molten bath of metal and slag in the vessel has a viscosity in a range of 0.5-5 poise in an operating temperature range for the process.

A molten bath-based direct smelting process includes controlling the process conditions in a direct smelting vessel so that molten slag in a molten bath of metal and slag in the vessel has a viscosity in a range of 0.5-5 poise in an operating temperature range for the process.

The present invention pertains to metallurgical processes and equipment and, more particularly, to a metallurgical furnace capable of operating with a broad range of broad range of raw materials and fuels, including those with high levels of impurities. Accordingly, the metallurgical furnace of the present invention comprises (i) at least an upper tub, (ii) at least a lower tub, (iii) at least a fuel feeder positioned substantially between the at least an upper tub and the at least a lower tub, (iv) at least a row of tuyeres positioned on at least one of at least an upper tub and at least a lower tub, the at least a row of tuyeres fluidly communicating inside the furnace with the outside environment, and (v) at least a burner positioned on at least one of at least an upper tub and at least a lower tub. The use of at least a burner jointly with the at least a row of tuyeres generates a very intense release of heat by virtue of the exothermic reactions which occur by this combination.