The present disclosure relates to a method and a smelting unit (1) for the pyrometallurgical smelting of metal-containing raw materials, waste materials and/or secondary waste materials (M) in the presence of an oxidizing, reducing and/or inert gas (G).

A process and an apparatus are disclosed for improved recovery of metal from hot and cold dross, wherein a dross-treating furnace is provided with a filling material with good capacity to store heat. This filling material is preheated to a desired temperature by injection of an oxidizing gas to burn non-recoverable metal remaining in the filling material after tapping of the recoverable metal contained in the dross and discharging of the treatment residue. When dross is treated in such furnace, the heat emanating by conduction from the filling material is sufficient to melt and separate the recoverable metal contained in the dross, without addition of an external heat source, such as fuel or gas burners, plasma torches or electric arcs and without use of any salt fluxes. Furthermore, the recovered metal being in the molten state can be fed to the molten metal holding furnace without cooling the melt; in addition, the non-use of fluxing salt for the treatment means that the non-contaminated residue can be used as a cover for the electrolytic cells in the case of aluminum. In the case of zinc dross, the residue is a valuable zinc oxide by-product very low in contaminants.

A method for refining a titanium material, in which oxygen contained in a titanium material made of a pure titanium, a titanium alloy or an intermetallic compound containing titanium as one of main components is removed, the method includes: a first melting step of melting the titanium material under a noble gas atmosphere containing 5 to 70 vol % of hydrogen, thereby introducing hydrogen into a melt of the titanium material; and a second melting step of melting the titanium material into which hydrogen has been introduced in the first melting step under a noble gas atmosphere, thereby removing oxygen contained in the titanium material from the melt of the titanium material together with the hydrogen. Each of the first melting step and the second melting step is carried out at least once.

A method for refining a titanium material, in which oxygen contained in a titanium material made of a pure titanium, a titanium alloy or an intermetallic compound containing titanium as one of main components is removed, the method includes: a first melting step of melting the titanium material under a noble gas atmosphere containing 5 to 70 vol % of hydrogen, thereby introducing hydrogen into a melt of the titanium material; and a second melting step of melting the titanium material into which hydrogen has been introduced in the first melting step under a noble gas atmosphere, thereby removing oxygen contained in the titanium material from the melt of the titanium material together with the hydrogen. Each of the first melting step and the second melting step is carried out at least once.

A method of operating a burner assembly is provided. The method generally includes transporting combustible fuel and atomization air through concentric fluid lines of the burner assembly; mixing the combustible fuel and the atomization air to atomize the combustible fuel; adjusting a flow of the combustible fuel and the atomization air to obtain atomized fuel with an air-to-fuel atomization ratio of less than 0.6; outputting the atomized fuel from a nozzle of the burner assembly; and igniting the atomized fuel to produce a flame. A burner assembly operable by the method, and a corresponding nozzle are also provided.

A method of operating a burner assembly is provided. The method generally includes transporting combustible fuel and atomization air through concentric fluid lines of the burner assembly; mixing the combustible fuel and the atomization air to atomize the combustible fuel; adjusting a flow of the combustible fuel and the atomization air to obtain atomized fuel with an air-to-fuel atomization ratio of less than 0.6; outputting the atomized fuel from a nozzle of the burner assembly; and igniting the atomized fuel to produce a flame. A burner assembly operable by the method, and a corresponding nozzle are also provided.

A method of reducing metal oxides in a plasma arc torch comprising a cathode and an anode. The method comprises collecting a set of metallic oxide ore and filtering the set of ore based on a particle size. The method further comprises preprocessing the filtered ore with the application of a heat gradient or an electric current. The preprocessed ore is mixed with a composition of reduction gases. The mixture is injected into the plasma arc torch to form a post-plasma mixture. The method further comprises collecting the post-plasma mixture and analyzing the post-plasma mixture. The method also comprises separating the post-plasma mixture into a set of slag and a set of liquid.

A method of reducing metal oxides in a plasma arc torch comprising a cathode and an anode. The method comprises collecting a set of metallic oxide ore and filtering the set of ore based on a particle size. The method further comprises preprocessing the filtered ore with the application of a heat gradient or an electric current. The preprocessed ore is mixed with a composition of reduction gases. The mixture is injected into the plasma arc torch to form a post-plasma mixture. The method further comprises collecting the post-plasma mixture and analyzing the post-plasma mixture. The method also comprises separating the post-plasma mixture into a set of slag and a set of liquid.

The present invention relates to a method (1) of producing a metal superalloy (10) comprising the steps of providing a charge of metal materials (2); melting said charge of metal materials (2) in an electric-arc furnace (3) to obtain a first melt (3A) of said charge of metal materials (2); solidifying (5) said first melt (3A) to obtain first ingots (5A); melting said first ingots (5A) in a V.I.D.P. furnace (6) to obtain a second melt (6A); solidifying (7) said second melt (6A) to obtain second ingots (7A); melting said second ingots (7A) in a V.A.R. furnace (8) to obtain a third melt (8A); solidifying (9) said third melt (8A) to obtain a metal superalloy (10). The method (1) is characterized in that the charge of metal materials (2) has a weight amount ranging from forty to sixty tons, and it includes a step of carrying out an A.O.D. treatment (4) on said first melt (3A) to obtain a decarburized and refined first melt (4A); said melting in the V.I.D.P. furnace (6) and said melting in the V.A.R. furnace (8) are carried out sequentially on said first melt (4A) resulting from said A.O.D. treatment (4).

A molten metal pump comprised of a base defining a pumping chamber, an impeller disposed within said pumping chamber, an outlet passage extending from said pumping chamber, said outlet passage being defined by opposed top and bottom walls and opposed side walls, wherein said top and side walls terminate at an intersection with a boundary of the base and said bottom wall terminates inward from said boundary.