Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for producing composite pellets comprising a core comprising: iron ore and a carbonaceous reducing agent; and a shell comprising: iron ore; and having a core and shell transition in a manner such that no visible boundary exists between the core and the shell in a cross-section of the pellet. The methods can be used to produce composite pellets with improved productivity and quality, and the resulting composite pellets can be used to produce direct reduced iron (DRI).

Various embodiments relate to several processes that may recover commodity chemicals from an alkaline metal-air battery. In various embodiments, while the cell is operating, various side products and waste streams may be collected and processed to regain use or additional value. Various embodiments also include processes to be performed after the cell has been disassembled, and each of its electrodes have been separated such as not to be an electrical hazard. The alkaline metal battery recycling processes described herein may provide multiple forms of commodity iron, high purity transition metal ores, fluoropolymer dispersions, various carbons, commodity chemicals, and catalyst dispersions.

Provided is a smelting method whereby a reaction for reducing pellets, said pellet being formed by using a saprolite ore as a starting material, can be effectively conducted and thus an iron/nickel alloy having a nickel grade of, for example, 16% or greater can be obtained. The method comprises: a pellet production step (S1) for producing the pellets from the saprolite ore; and a reduction step (S2) for heating and reducing the obtained pellets in a smelting furnace. In the pellet production step (S1), at least the saprolite ore and a preset amount of a carbonaceous reducing agent are mixed together to produce the pellets. In the reduction step (S2), a hearth carbonaceous reducing agent is preliminarily spread on the hearth of the smelting furnace and the pellets produced above are placed on the hearth carbonaceous reducing agent and then subjected to a heat reduction treatment.

A method for producing an agglomerated raw material includes pressing and heating a raw material containing iron oxide having a particle size smaller than a preset particle size, thereby agglomerating the raw material. The raw material contains the iron oxide in an amount of more than 50% by mass, and the raw material is heated by electrical heating.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of iron ore fines agglomerate, resistant to handling, transport, and contact with water. The process consists of mixing iron ore fines with sodium silicate, nanomaterials, catalyst, fluxes and plasticizer; adjusting the moisture of the mixture; agglomerating the mixture by pelletizing, briquetting or extrusion; performing curing at room temperature. The process does not require energy input for heat treatment and allows obtaining an agglomerated product with high physical and metallurgical performance to replace metallic load, including sinter, in reduction furnaces, without the emission of harmful gases such as CO.sub.2, dioxins, furans, and SO.sub.x.

A method of direct reduction of metal oxides that includes catalytic reforming of hydrocarbonaceous gas in a reformer to obtain reformer gas, obtaining at least one precursor gas based on the reformer gas, preparing a reduction gas by heating the at least one precursor gas by means of electrical energy, at least a portion of the electrical energy being introduced by means of plasma.

A coated raw material for use in direct reduction ironmaking is disclosed. The coated raw material includes: a raw material containing an iron oxide; and a coating layer containing particles adhered to a surface of the raw material, and the particles include at least one selected from the group consisting of a calcium compound and cement, and have a particle size of not smaller than 0.010 mm. The particles preferably have a particle size of not smaller than 0.050 mm. An adhesion amount of the particles is preferably not less than 0.10 mass % and not more than 3.00 mass % based on the raw material. The calcium compound preferably contains at least one selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide.

Various embodiments relate to several processes that may recover commodity chemicals from an alkaline metal-air battery. In various embodiments, while the cell is operating, various side products and waste streams may be collected and processed to regain use or additional value. Various embodiments also include processes to be performed after the cell has been disassembled, and each of its electrodes have been separated such as not to be an electrical hazard. The alkaline metal battery recycling processes described herein may provide multiple forms of commodity iron, high purity transition metal ores, fluoropolymer dispersions, various carbons, commodity chemicals, and catalyst dispersions.

A method for introducing carbon into direct reduced iron (DRI), wherein at least one solid carbon carrier is added to the DRI, and the DRI is hardened once the solid carbon carrier has been added to the DRI.

Non-fired pellets are used in a solid reduction furnace and are effective in preventing clustering by reducing the possibility of contact between low-melting-temperature slags and thus preventing the fusion therebetween. A method produces such non-fired pellets. Non-fired pellets for reduction, in which the proportion of high-viscosity slag components (Al.sub.2O.sub.3+MgO+SiO.sub.2) to the total Fe (T.Fe) satisfies an expression: (Al.sub.2O.sub.3+MgO+SiO.sub.2)/T.Fe0.12, and a method for producing the same. In the expression, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 represents the concentration (mass %) of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 in the non-fired pellets, MgO represents the concentration (mass %) of MgO in the non-fired pellets, SiO.sub.2 represents the concentration (mass %) of SiO.sub.2 in the non-fired pellets, and T.Fe represents the concentration (mass %) of T.Fe in the non-fired pellets.