Some variations provide a composition for reducing a metal ore, the composition comprising a carbon-metal ore particulate, wherein the carbon-metal ore particulate comprises at least about 0.1 wt % to at most about 50 wt % fixed carbon on a moisture-free and ash-free basis, and wherein the carbon is at least 50% renewable carbon as determined from a measurement of the .sup.14C/.sup.12C isotopic ratio. Some variations provide a process for reducing a metal ore, comprising: providing a biomass feedstock; pyrolyzing the feedstock to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas comprising hydrogen or carbon monoxide; obtaining a metal ore comprising a metal oxide; combining the carbon with the metal ore, to generate a carbon-metal ore particulate; optionally pelletizing the carbon-metal ore particulate; and utilizing the pyrolysis off-gas to chemically reduce the metal oxide to elemental metal, such as iron. The disclosed technologies are environmentally superior to conventional processes based on coal.

Process for the direct reduction of metal oxides (2) using a reduction gas, which is based on at least one precursor gas, wherein at least one precursor gas (15, 22) is based on reformer gas obtained by catalytic reforming of hydrocarbon-containing gas (4) in a reformer (3), and in the preparation of the reduction gas at least one precursor gas based on reformer gas is heated up by means of electrical energy. An apparatus for the direct reduction (1) of metal oxides (2) by means of a reduction gas comprises a catalytic reformer (3) for producing a reformer gas, a reformer gas line (5) for removing reformer gas from the catalytic reformer (3), a reduction unit (9), a reduction gas line (8) for introducing reduction gas into the reduction unit (9), and at least one precursor gas line (6), wherein at least one precursor gas line extending from the reformer gas line comprises an electrical gas heating device (7, 10, 17), and at least one precursor gas line (6) extends from the reformer gas line (5), and each precursor gas line (6) opens out into the reduction gas line (8).

Method for producing direct reduced metal material, comprising the steps: a) charging metal material to be reduced into a first furnace space (120) of a first furnace (220); b) evacuating an existing atmosphere from the first furnace space (120) so as to achieve an underpressure; c) providing, in a main heating step, heat and first hydrogen gas to the first furnace space (120), so that metal oxides present in the metal material are reduced, in turn causing water vapour to be formed; and d) condensing and collecting the water vapour formed in step c in a condenser (160) below the charged metal material. The first hydrogen gas in step c is provided without recirculation of the first hydrogen gas, the method further comprises a subsequently performed charged material cooling step, in which thermal energy from the charged material is absorbed by said first hydrogen gas, and in which thermal energy, by heat exchange, is transferred from said first hydrogen gas to second hydrogen gas to be used in a second furnace (210) for producing direct reduced metal material. The invention also relates to a system.

The invention relates to a process for producing carburized directly reduced iron sponge from iron oxide material. Firstly, direct reduction is carried out by means of a reduction gas consisting at least predominantly of H.sub.2 and the carbon content in the iron sponge is then increased by means of a carburizing gas which is fed in, after which used carburizing gas is at least partly taken off while largely avoiding mixing with the reduction gas. The plant for producing carburized directly reduced iron sponge from iron oxide material comprises a reduction zone for directly reducing introduced iron oxide material to directly reduced product by means of reduction gas consisting predominantly of H.sub.2 and a reduction gas feed conduit opening into the reduction zone. It also comprises a carburization zone having a carburizing gas feed conduit opening into the carburization zone and a carburization offgas conduit.

The invention relates to a method for reducing metal oxides to metallized material by means of contact with reduction gas, wherein an accumulated top gas is dry dedusted and reformed in a raw gas mixture together with gaseous hydrocarbons. The water vapor content of the dry dedusted top gas designated for the preparation of the raw gas mixture is adjusted in a saturator in the countercurrent by means of saturation water, wherein the temperature of the saturation water is adjusted, by mixing cold water with a hot water having a higher temperature than the cold water, in order to produce the saturation water at a target value. The invention further relates to a device for carrying out such a method, having corresponding conduits.

A method and an apparatus for recycling a significant amount of heat within a linear hearth furnace by means of an endless conveyor that transports briquettes through the furnace from an inlet (briquette feed) end to an outlet (DRI discharge) end and then returns to the inlet end and transfers a significant amount of heat from the outlet end to the inlet end of the furnace.

A method for direct reduction of metal oxide-containing starting materials to produce metallized material by contact with hot reduction gas in a reduction unit (1), wherein the product of the direct reduction is discharged from the reduction unit (1) by means of a product discharge device (3) which is flushed with seal gas and from which vent gas is drawn and subsequently de-dusted. The vent gas is de-dusted dry and the content of at least one gaseous constituent is reduced by catalytic conversion or combustion. Also, a device for carrying out the method is disclosed.

A method for the direct reduction of feedstock, containing metal-oxide, to form metallic material, by contact with hot reduction gas in a reduction assembly (1): the product of the direct reduction process is discharged from the reduction assembly by a product discharge apparatus, which is flushed with seal gas, drawn off from the vent gas and subsequently dedusted. At least one portion of the dedusted vent gas is used as a combustion energy source during the production of the reduction gas, and/or as a component of a furnace fuel gas during a combustion process for heating the reduction gas, and/or as a component of the reduction gas. Apparatus for carrying out the method is disclosed.

Disclosed herein is a reduced iron production method enabling heat to be input well into reduced-iron raw materials on a hearth covering material in a reduction-melting furnace to improve the efficiency of treatment thereof. The reduced-iron raw materials are set on the hearth covering material through their falls and reduced on the hearth covering material. The hearth covering material is constituted by carbon materials each having a particle diameter of 5 mm or less. At least 7 mass % of the carbon materials have respective particle diameters each being 0.1 mm or less. This restrains the reduced-iron raw materials from embedment into the hearth covering material.

The invention relates to a method for reducing metal oxides to metallized material by means of contact with reduction gas, wherein an accumulated top gas is dry dedusted and reformed in a raw gas mixture together with gaseous hydrocarbons. The water vapor content of the dry dedusted top gas designated for the preparation of the raw gas mixture is adjusted in a saturator in the countercurrent by means of saturation water, wherein the temperature of the saturation water is adjusted, by mixing cold water with a hot water having a higher temperature than the cold water, in order to produce the saturation water at a target value. The invention further relates to a device for carrying out such a method, having corresponding conduits.