A production apparatus and method for electric arc furnace steelmaking with a fully continuous ultra-short process are provided. A continuous adding, melting, smelting and continuous casting of a metal material are integrated, and a metallurgy process is completed in a flowing of a molten steel, to realize a continuous production of ingot blanks. The production apparatus includes four operation sites of an electric arc furnace for melting and primary refining, a sealed tapping chute for molten steel flowing, a refinement storage bed for molten-steel desulfurization and alloying and a conticaster for continuous casting A material flow, an energy flow and a time stream in the four operation sites are in a dynamic equilibrium. The production apparatus and method realize a molten-steel casting is started within 120 minutes after the metal material is started to be continuously added, and an uninterrupted continuous production is maintained for above 80 hours.

A direct reduction process comprises providing a shaft furnace of a direct reduction plant to reduce iron oxide with reducing gas; providing a direct reduced iron melting furnace; and coupling a discharge chute between a discharge exit of the direct reduced shaft furnace and an inlet of the direct reduced iron melting furnace; wherein direct reduced iron and the reducing gas from the shaft furnace flow through the discharge chute and the reducing gas controls the melting furnace atmosphere to reducing environment.

A direct reduction process comprises providing a shaft furnace of a direct reduction plant to reduce iron oxide with reducing gas; providing a direct reduced iron melting furnace; and coupling a discharge chute between a discharge exit of the direct reduced shaft furnace and an inlet of the direct reduced iron melting furnace; wherein direct reduced iron and the reducing gas from the shaft furnace flow through the discharge chute and the reducing gas controls the melting furnace atmosphere to reducing environment.

According to embodiments, disclosed is a method and system to maintain the soft and sparse slag characteristic favorable for an electric arc to efficiently transfer the energy to molten iron with the power input per furnace area higher than 600 KW/m2 while keeping FeO amount less than 5% in the slag and carbon amount higher than 2.5% in the product hot metal at a DRI melting furnace.

According to embodiments, disclosed is a method and system to maintain the soft and sparse slag characteristic favorable for an electric arc to efficiently transfer the energy to molten iron with the power input per furnace area higher than 600 KW/m2 while keeping FeO amount less than 5% in the slag and carbon amount higher than 2.5% in the product hot metal at a DRI melting furnace.

A method and an apparatus method for producing direct reduced iron (DRI) from iron ore using biomass as a source of reductant and as a heating source of the iron ore and electromagnetic energy as a further heating source in a furnace having multiple zones. The zones include a preheat zone and a reduction zone between an inlet for briquettes of iron ore and biomass and an outlet for direct reduced iron. The method includes counter-current movement of (a) briquettes of iron ore and biomass in a direction from the inlet to the outlet and (b) combustible gases in an opposite direction in the furnace.

A process for direct reduction of iron ore in a solid state includes exposing briquettes of iron ore fragments and biomass to electromagnetic energy under anoxic conditions and generating heat within iron ore in the briquettes. The iron ore is reduced in a solid state within the briquettes, and the biomass provides a source of reductant.

A process for direct reduction of iron ore in a solid state includes exposing briquettes of iron ore fragments and biomass to electromagnetic energy under anoxic conditions and generating heat within iron ore in the briquettes. The iron ore is reduced in a solid state within the briquettes, and the biomass provides a source of reductant.

A method for the production of cast iron starting from pre-reduced iron ore (DRI) with an electric arc furnace includes the steps of preparing a charge of pre-reduced iron ore DRI having a metallization higher than 90% and containing over 2.8% by weight of carbon, wherein at least 80% of the carbon is combined with the iron to form iron carbide Fe.sub.3C; charging the charge of pre-reduced iron ore into the electric arc furnace; and melting the DRI charge to form liquid cast iron having at least 80% by weight of actual carbon content deriving from the carbon in the charge of pre-reduced iron ore, the melting step being in a reducing atmosphere and in a melting chamber of the electric arc furnace subjected to a positive internal pressure generated by the gases produced by reduction reactions that develop during melting.

A method for the production of cast iron starting from pre-reduced iron ore (DRI) with an electric arc furnace includes the steps of preparing a charge of pre-reduced iron ore DRI having a metallization higher than 90% and containing over 2.8% by weight of carbon, wherein at least 80% of the carbon is combined with the iron to form iron carbide Fe.sub.3C; charging the charge of pre-reduced iron ore into the electric arc furnace; and melting the DRI charge to form liquid cast iron having at least 80% by weight of actual carbon content deriving from the carbon in the charge of pre-reduced iron ore, the melting step being in a reducing atmosphere and in a melting chamber of the electric arc furnace subjected to a positive internal pressure generated by the gases produced by reduction reactions that develop during melting.