Apparatus for the production of molten iron including a metallurgical vessel, having a surrounding wall, a cyclone part provided on top of a smelt reduction part, the cyclone part being in open connection with the smelt reduction part and having at least one supply apparatus around the circumference of the surrounding wall adjusted to introduce oxygen gas into the cyclone part, wherein the at least one supply apparatus is further adjusted to introduce a mixture of oxygen gas and a combustible gas.

Disclosed is a single-chamber furnace for fuming an evaporable metal or metal compound from a metallurgical charge including a bath furnace for containing a molten charge up to a determined level, the furnace being equipped with a non-transferred plasma torch for the generation of plasma and a first submerged injector for injecting the plasma below the determined level, the furnace further including an afterburning zone to form an oxidized form of the at least one evaporable metal or metal compound, and a recovery zone for recovering the oxidized form from the gas formed in the afterburning zone, whereby the furnace is further equipped with a second submerged injector for injecting extra gas into the furnace below the determined level. Further disclosed is the use of the furnace and a process for fuming an evaporable metal or metal compound from a metallurgical charge.

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 gasifier for organic solid waste by injection into molten iron and slag bath includes a gasification furnace, a liquid level adjusting furnace and a slag discharge and heat exchange shaft furnace. The liquid level adjusting furnace, in communication with the bottom of the gasification furnace, contains 1200-1700° C. molten iron-based alloy liquid, which is covered with molten liquid slag layer. When gas pressure above or liquid volume in the liquid level adjusting furnace increases, liquid level of the molten liquid in the gasification furnace rises simultaneously. A particle material injection lance is immersed, through which organic particles to be gasified are blown into molten bath, and oxygen gas or oxygen-enriched air as gasifying agent is blown into the melt at the same time. Organic substance is gasified into CO-rich and H.sub.2-rich syngas, and most of inorganic substance enters molten slag and is discharged termly.

A flash ironmaking drop tube furnace includes a primary reaction section having a refractory, an induction coil around the refractory, insulation located between the refractory and the induction coil, and a susceptor located inside the refractory, the susceptor being formed of a material that is heated by induction when electrical current flows through the induction coil, and having at least one interior channel through which particles can pass. The furnace further includes a muffle, located below the primary reaction section; an outer shell surrounding the muffle; at least one heater located adjacent to the muffle; insulation located between the at least one heater and the outer shell; at least one particle feeder that feeds a predetermined volume of particles into the furnace above the primary reaction section; and an inlet port for injecting gas into the furnace, the inlet port being located so that the gas flows through the susceptor and muffle in parallel with the particles.

A method for the recovery of zinc from zinc containing materials using a smelting apparatus for smelting a metalliferous feed material, wherein the smelting apparatus includes a smelting vessel, a smelt cyclone mounted on the smelting vessel and in connection with the inside of the smelting vessel and an off-gas duct connected to the smelt cyclone, and wherein the method includes the steps of: injecting the feed material with a carrier gas into the smelt cyclone, injecting an oxygen containing gas into the smelt cyclone, injecting coal with a carrier gas into the smelting vessel, injecting an oxygen containing gas into the smelting vessel, optionally injecting fluxes with a carrier gas into the smelting vessel, wherein the zinc containing materials are injected into the smelt cyclone and/or into the smelting vessel.

A method for off-gas composition control, wherein the off-gas results from a smelting apparatus for smelting a metalliferous feed material, wherein the smelting apparatus includes a smelting vessel, a smelt cyclone mounted on the smelting vessel and in connection with the inside of the smelting vessel and an off-gas duct connected to the smelt cyclone, wherein the method provides that an oxygen containing gas containing 95% oxygen or more is injected into the smelt cyclone and that the feed material is injected into the smelt cyclone with a carrier gas other than nitrogen gas.

A gasifier for organic solid waste by injection into molten iron and slag bath includes a gasification furnace, a liquid level adjusting furnace and a slag discharge and heat exchange shaft furnace. The liquid level adjusting furnace, in communication with the bottom of the gasification furnace, contains 1200-1700° C. molten iron-based alloy liquid, which is covered with molten liquid slag layer. When gas pressure above or liquid volume in the liquid level adjusting furnace increases, liquid level of the molten liquid in the gasification furnace rises simultaneously. A particle material injection lance is immersed, through which organic particles to be gasified are blown into molten bath, and oxygen gas or oxygen-enriched air as gasifying agent is blown into the melt at the same time. Organic substance is gasified into CO-rich and H.sub.2-rich syngas, and most of inorganic substance enters molten slag and is discharged termly.

Smelting metalliferous feed material process forming molten metal in smelting apparatus including smelt cyclone above and communicating with smelting vessel to contain molten metal and slag bath, including: partially reducing and melting feed material in smelt cyclone, allowing the molten partially reduced feed material flow downwardly into vessel, supplying oxygen-containing gas and carbonaceous material to vessel, smelting molten partially reduced feed material in molten metal and slag bath in vessel forming molten metal discharged from vessel and reaction products projected upwardly from molten bath, at least partially combusting combustible materials in reaction products in vessel space above molten bath, supplying oxygen-containing gas to smelt cyclone. Further combusting reaction products in smelt cyclone, discharging from smelt cyclone offgas including reaction products, supplying oxygen-containing gas into offgas duct upstream high temperature section combusting remaining offgas combustible materials while sufficiently hot for safe ignition and avoiding downstream burner-managed incineration.

A method for the recovery of zinc from zinc containing materials using a smelting apparatus for smelting a metalliferous feed material, wherein the smelting apparatus includes a smelting vessel, a smelt cyclone mounted on the smelting vessel and in connection with the inside of the smelting vessel and an off-gas duct connected to the smelt cyclone, and wherein the method includes the steps of: injecting the feed material with a carrier gas into the smelt cyclone, injecting an oxygen containing gas into the smelt cyclone, injecting coal with a carrier gas into the smelting vessel, injecting an oxygen containing gas into the smelting vessel, optionally injecting fluxes with a carrier gas into the smelting vessel, wherein the zinc containing materials are injected into the smelt cyclone and/or into the smelting vessel.