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.

The present disclosure is directed to high-purity iron materials and systems and methods of producing such high-purity iron materials based on cost-effective transformation of low-cost iron feedstocks. In general, the methods of production using the systems described herein may include acid leaching low-purity iron ores to create an iron-rich acid solution, which may be purified to remove residual soluble impurities and hydrolyzed to produce high purity iron oxide powder. The high purity iron oxide powder may be reduced to form high purity iron metal suitable for a variety of end-uses, including use in batteries.

The present disclosure is directed to high-purity iron materials and systems and methods of producing such high-purity iron materials based on cost-effective transformation of low-cost iron feedstocks. In general, the methods of production using the systems described herein may include acid leaching low-purity iron ores to create an iron-rich acid solution, which may be purified to remove residual soluble impurities and hydrolyzed to produce high purity iron oxide powder. The high purity iron oxide powder may be reduced to form high purity iron metal suitable for a variety of end-uses, including use in batteries.

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.

The present invention relates to a process for the smelting of a metalliferous feedstock material. The process includes the steps of: (i) feeding an agglomerate comprising of a fine metalliferous feedstock material and a fine reductant to a reactor, the agglomerate forming a packed bed within the reactor; (ii) smelting the agglomerate by passing a hot reducing gas counter current through the packed bed to form a molten material comprising a partially reduced metalliferous constituent, an intermediate slag constituent and entrained unreacted reductant constituent; and (iii) channelling the molten material to flow into a vessel to form a metal product and a slag product.

An ironmaking system and process of a two-section downdraft bed, including: a vertical melting furnace, where a basic combustor/gasifier is at the top, first and second inlets evenly along a side wall of the melting furnace below the basic combustor/gasifier, and the first inlet connected to coke powder/pulverized coal, air, and water vapor sources; a slag pool, at a bottom of the melting furnace; a vertical pre-reduction furnace, the top portion connected to the outlet of the melting furnace, third and fourth inlets on an upper portion of the pre-reduction furnace and connected respectively to a temperature-adjusting and tempering medium source and an iron mineral powder source, an outlet at a bottom of the pre-reduction furnace; and a separator, an inlet of the separator connected to the outlet of the pre-reduction furnace, and an outlet at a bottom of the separator connected to the second inlet through a pipeline.

An ironmaking system and process of a two-section downdraft bed, including: a vertical melting furnace, where a basic combustor/gasifier is at the top, first and second inlets evenly along a side wall of the melting furnace below the basic combustor/gasifier, and the first inlet connected to coke powder/pulverized coal, air, and water vapor sources; a slag pool, at a bottom of the melting furnace; a vertical pre-reduction furnace, the top portion connected to the outlet of the melting furnace, third and fourth inlets on an upper portion of the pre-reduction furnace and connected respectively to a temperature-adjusting and tempering medium source and an iron mineral powder source, an outlet at a bottom of the pre-reduction furnace; and a separator, an inlet of the separator connected to the outlet of the pre-reduction furnace, and an outlet at a bottom of the separator connected to the second inlet through a pipeline.

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 plant complex for producing steel, having a blast furnace for producing pig iron; a converter steel works for producing crude steel; a gas pipeline system for gases that occur in the production of pig iron and/or the production of crude steel; a chemical plant and/or a biotechnology plant which are/is connected to the gas pipeline system, wherein the plant complex additionally includes a biogas plant which is connected to the gas pipeline system.