A low-sulfur granulated metallic unit having a mass fraction of sulfur between 0.0001 wt. % and 0.08 wt. % is disclosed herein. Additionally or alternatively, the granulated metallic unit can comprise a mass fraction of phosphorous of at least 0.025 wt. %, a mass fraction of silicon between 0.25 wt. % and 1.5 wt. %, a mass fraction of manganese of at least 0.2 wt. %, a mass fraction of carbon of at least 0.8 wt. %, and/or a mass fraction of iron of at least 94.0 wt. %.

A technology for melting direct reduced iron while efficiently removing a gangue portion from the direct reduced iron, including obtaining a direct reduced iron by bringing iron ore or a mixture thereof and composition adjusting material together with a reducing material under heating; melting the direct reduced iron to obtain molten iron, and removing a slag outside the induction melting furnace; and optionally refining the molten iron. A charging temperature of melting the direct reduced iron ranges from after finishing direct reduction to atmospheric temperature; and melting includes blowing gas into the molten iron for a limited time of or throughout melting, and optionally includes one or more steps: 1) adding an adjuster for adjusting components of the slag, 2) supplying heat to the slag from a heat source disposed above the induction melting furnace, and 3) supplying one or more reducing solids and/or one or more reducing gases.

To provide a production device for a carbon material, a production system for a carbon material, and a production method for a carbon material that make it possible to efficiently produce a carbon material from carbon dioxide. One aspect of the present invention provides a production device for a carbon material. The production device comprises a first reaction unit that produces carbon monoxide from carbon dioxide, a second reaction unit that produces a carbon material from carbon monoxide, and a gas line that connects the first reaction unit and the second reaction unit. The first reaction unit has at least one reactor that contains a reducing agent. By contact with a starting material gas that includes carbon dioxide, the reducing agent reduces the carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide and is oxidized, and by contact with a reducing gas that includes a reducing substance, the oxidized reducing agent is reduced.

Systems for continuous granulated metallic unit (GMU) production, and associated devices and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a continuous GMU production system includes a furnace unit, a desulfurization unit, a plurality of granulator units, and a cooling system. The furnace unit can receive input materials such as iron ore and output molten metal. The desulfurization unit can reduce a sulfur content of the molten metallics received from the furnace unit. Each of the plurality of granulator units can include a tundish that can control the flow of molten metallics and a reactor that can granulate the molten metallics to form GMUs. The cooling system can provide cooled water to the reactor. Continuous GMU production systems configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can produce GMUs under continuous operations cycles for, e.g., at least 6 hours.

A low-carbon granulated metallic unit having a mass fraction of carbon between 0.1 wt. % and 4.0 wt. % is disclosed herein. Additionally or alternatively, the granulated metallic unit can comprise a mass fraction of phosphorous of at least 0.025 wt. %, a mass fraction of silicon between 0.25 wt. % and 1.5 wt. %, a mass fraction of manganese of at least 0.2 wt. %, a mass fraction of sulfur of at least 0.0001 wt. %, and/or a mass fraction of iron of at least 94.0 wt. %.

An arrangement for producing sponge iron, including a direct reduction shaft, a device for charging iron ore into the direct reduction shaft, a device for extracting sponge iron from the direction reduction shaft, a hydrogen-rich reduction gas source, a reduction gas line extending from the hydrogen-rich reduction gas source to the direct reduction shaft, and a heater for heating the hydrogen-rich reduction gas in the reduction gas line. The arrangement further includes a flow rate meter configured to measure the flow rate of the hydrogen-rich reduction gas in the reduction gas line, and a control unit configured to control the device for charging iron ore into the direct reduction shaft and to control the device for extracting sponge iron from the direct reduction shaft based on input from the flow rate meter, such that the flow rate of the iron ore and the flow rate of the sponge iron are proportional to the measured flow rate of the hydrogen-rich reduction gas.

Systems and methods for using a liquid hot metal processing unit to produce granulated metallic units (GMUs) are disclosed herein. In some embodiments of the present technology, a liquid hot metal processing system for producing GMUs comprises a liquid hot metal processing unit including a granulator unit. The granulator unit can include a tilter positioned to receive and tilt a ladle, a controller operably coupled to the tilter to control tilting of the ladle, a tundish positioned to receive the molten metallics from the ladle, and a reactor positioned to receive the molten metallics from the tundish. The reactor can be configured to cool the molten metallics to form granulated metallic units (GMUs).

Reduced-waste systems and methods for granulated metallic units (GMUs) production are disclosed herein. A representative method can include receiving a first supply of molten iron and producing GMUs by granulating the molten iron poured onto a target material of a reactor. The method can include removing residual fines of the GMUs via a classifier based on a threshold particle size and mixing the residual fines with a second supply of molten iron to produce additional GMUs.

Systems for continuous granulated metallic unit (GMU) production, and associated devices and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a continuous GMU production system includes a furnace unit, a desulfurization unit, a plurality of granulator units, and a cooling system. The furnace unit can receive input materials such as iron ore and output molten metal. The desulfurization unit can reduce a sulfur content of the molten metallics received from the furnace unit. Each of the plurality of granulator units can include a tundish that can control the flow of molten metallics and a reactor that can granulate the molten metallics to form GMUs. The cooling system can provide cooled water to the reactor. Continuous GMU production systems configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can produce GMUs under continuous operations cycles for, e.g., at least 6 hours.

A system for processing red mud including at least one heating section controlled to heat red mud to a predetermined temperature, a crusher configured to grind the red mud to a predetermined particle size, a first separator for physically extracting iron components from the red mud, and a second separator for physically extracting one or more of aluminum components and titanium components from the red mud, wherein the first and second separators do not require addition of chemical additives to perform the separation.