A method for producing liquid pig iron comprises: i) providing a DRI product with an iron content of at least 75.0 wt. %, a carbon content of at least 0.10 wt. % and a content of acidic and basic slag components, comprising CaO, SiO.sub.2, MgO and Al.sub.2O.sub.3 of max. 15.0 wt. %; ii) supplying the DRI product, adding slag formers, into an electrically operated smelting unit; iii) optionally supplying further iron and/or carbon components into the electrically operated smelting unit; iv) smelting the DRI product and optionally the further iron and/or carbon components in the presence of the slag formers, so that a liquid pig iron phase and a liquid slag phase are formed; v) adjusting the slag phase such that it has a basicity of (CaO+MgO/SiO.sub.2) from 0.95 to 1.5; vi) tapping the liquid pig iron phase; and vii) tapping and granulating the slag phase.

A DRI product and method of forming the DRI product. DRI is formed from a reducing process, and thereafter the DRI is subjected to another heat treatment that produces a DRI product. The DRI product formed has a metallic shell around at least a portion of a DRI core. The heat treatment may be delivered through the use of a plasma torch, a gas burner, an oven, or any other like heat source. The heat treatment may heat the DRI for a fraction of a second and quickly cool the DRI in order to melt the surface and form the metallic shell without vaporizing a significant portion of the DRI and without losing a significant amount of the latent energy in the DRI.

Methods and systems for producing steel or similar molten-iron-containing materials in melting or smelting furnaces utilizing pre-reduced iron ore, known also as direct reduced iron (DRI) or sponge iron, wherein the emission of CO.sub.2 and other greenhouse gases is significantly low. Such methods and systems are based on producing DRI in a direct reduction furnace with a reducing gas comprising hydrogen; melting at least a portion of the DRI in a melting furnace in order to generate hot gases; producing steam and/or hot water using the heat contained in the hot gases. From the steam and/or hot water hydrogen is produced by electrolysis, at least a portion of which is fed to the direct reduction furnace as a component of the reducing gas to produce the DRI.

Methods and systems for producing steel or similar molten-iron-containing materials in melting or smelting furnaces utilizing pre-reduced iron ore, known also as direct reduced iron (DRI) or sponge iron, wherein the emission of CO.sub.2 and other greenhouse gases is significantly low. Such methods and systems are based on producing DRI in a direct reduction furnace with a reducing gas comprising hydrogen; melting at least a portion of the DRI in a melting furnace in order to generate hot gases; producing steam and/or hot water using the heat contained in the hot gases. From the steam and/or hot water hydrogen is produced by electrolysis, at least a portion of which is fed to the direct reduction furnace as a component of the reducing gas to produce the DRI.

A flash ironmaking method is for use with a drop tube furnace that includes a susceptor and a muffle. The method includes feeding particles into the drop tube furnace, introducing hydrogen gas into the drop tube furnace so that it flows parallel to the falling particles, heating a susceptor using induction heating, so that the particles are heated as they fall through the susceptor, heating a muffle, to maintain the temperature of the particles as they fall through the muffle, and cooling the particles and hydrogen gas after they pass through the muffle.

A plant for melting and/or heating metal material includes a furnace, electrical energy feed means and an electric power apparatus connected between the feed means and the furnace; and a corresponding method to power the melting and/or heating plant.

A plant for melting and/or heating metal material includes a furnace, electrical energy feed means and an electric power apparatus connected between the feed means and the furnace; and a corresponding method to power the melting and/or heating plant.

The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments to a method for steel production, the method comprising forming a hydrogen and a carbon from a natural gas using thermal plasma electrolysis; reducing iron ore fines with the H.sub.2 to form an iron briquette; melting the briquette iron from the furnace to form a melted iron and melted non-metallic slag; separating the non-metallic slag from the melted iron in the furnace; combining the carbon and the melted iron in a furnace to form a carbon black and iron mixture; and alloying the melted iron with the carbon black to form a steel.

Method for producing direct reduced metal material, comprising the steps: a) charging metal material to be reduced into a furnace space (120); b) evacuating an existing atmosphere from the furnace space (120) so as to achieve an underpressure inside the furnace space (120); c) providing, in a main heating step, heat and hydrogen gas to the furnace space (120), so that heated hydrogen gas heats the charged metal material to a temperature high enough 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, characterised in that steps c and d are performed at least until a hydrogen atmosphere overpressure has been reached inside the furnace space (120), and in that no hydrogen gas is evacuated from the furnace space (120) until said overpressure has been reached. The invention also relates to a system.

Method for producing direct reduced metal material, comprising the steps: a) charging metal material to be reduced into a furnace space (120); b) evacuating an existing atmosphere from the furnace space (120) so as to achieve an underpressure inside the furnace space (120); c) providing, in a main heating step, heat and hydrogen gas to the furnace space (120), so that heated hydrogen gas heats the charged metal material to a temperature high enough 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 invention is characterised in that said hydrogen gas in step c is provided without recirculation of the hydrogen gas, and in that the method further comprises the subse 15 quently performed step of removing the reduced metal material from the furnace space (120), and storing and/or transporting the reduced metal material under an inert atmosphere.