Systems and methods are described in which spent pickle liquor from metal cleaning processes is utilized to regenerate a lixiviant used to recover valuable metals from industrial waste and other sources. The spent pickle liquor is neutralized and solvated metals in the spent pickle liquor are precipitated in this process. When the industrial waste is slag from a metal refining process a partially closed metal production process can be implemented, where spent pickle liquor from cleaning of the refined metal is used to regenerate a lixiviant used to recover a different, valuable metal from a waste slag of the process, with precipitated salts from the lixiviant regeneration being returned as a raw material in the metal refining process. As a result waste streams from these processes are dramatically reduced or eliminated.

A method of manufacturing iron in a metallurgical vessel, the vessel including a bath of molten iron with on top of the bath of molten iron a layer of slag, wherein a metalliferrous feed, carbon containing material, fluxing material, and oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas are introduced into the vessel to convert the metalliferrous feed into molten iron that is collected in the bath of molten iron and continuously or semi-continuously tapped from the vessel through an iron—outlet of the vessel, and wherein the composition of the fluxing material is selected to acquire a predetermined slag chemistry, which slag is regularly tapped out of the vessel through a slag—outlet, and the fluxing material includes slag derived from a steelmaking process.

A method of manufacturing iron in a metallurgical vessel, the vessel including a bath of molten iron with on top of the bath of molten iron a layer of slag, wherein a metalliferrous feed, carbon containing material, fluxing material, and oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas are introduced into the vessel to convert the metalliferrous feed into molten iron that is collected in the bath of molten iron and continuously or semi-continuously tapped from the vessel through an iron—outlet of the vessel, and wherein the composition of the fluxing material is selected to acquire a predetermined slag chemistry, which slag is regularly tapped out of the vessel through a slag—outlet, and the fluxing material includes slag derived from a steelmaking process.

Examples herein generally relate to sinter blend compositions for use in a sintering process that do not contain coke breeze (0.0% coke breeze), or contain only very small amounts of coke breeze. In particular, these sinter blend compositions are capable of repurposing mixture of iron-making reverts, having high total and metallic iron levels that re-oxidize so as to become a replacement fuel source for the coke breeze typically used in sinter blend compositions for use in a sintering process, while still managing to produce a sinter with sufficient ISO tumble strengths.

Examples herein generally relate to sinter blend compositions for use in a sintering process that do not contain coke breeze (0.0% coke breeze), or contain only very small amounts of coke breeze. In particular, these sinter blend compositions are capable of repurposing mixture of iron-making reverts, having high total and metallic iron levels that re-oxidize so as to become a replacement fuel source for the coke breeze typically used in sinter blend compositions for use in a sintering process, while still managing to produce a sinter with sufficient ISO tumble strengths.

A compound for forming a foamy slag layer for use in an electric arc furnace, is described. The electric arc furnace has a chamber for melting scrap steel and an opening for introducing material into the chamber. The compound has un-calcined dolomite ore having a weight percentage from about 10% to about 60% and carbon having a weight percentage from about 40% to about 90%. The un-caicined dolomite ore and carbon are introduced to the chamber of the electric arc furnace while the scrap steel is being melted to form a foamy slag layer on the surface of the molten steel.

A compound for forming a foamy slag layer for use in an electric arc furnace, is described. The electric arc furnace has a chamber for melting scrap steel and an opening for introducing material into the chamber. The compound has un-calcined dolomite ore having a weight percentage from about 10% to about 60% and carbon having a weight percentage from about 40% to about 90%. The un-caicined dolomite ore and carbon are introduced to the chamber of the electric arc furnace while the scrap steel is being melted to form a foamy slag layer on the surface of the molten steel.

A process for producing hot briquetted iron with increased solid carbonaceous material and/or flux includes: providing a shaft furnace of a direct reduction plant to reduce iron oxide with reducing gas; providing a hot briquette machine to produce hot briquetted iron; coupling a chute between a) a discharge exit of the shaft furnace for discharge of hot direct reduced iron and b) an entrance of the hot briquette machine; adding solid carbonaceous material and/or flux to the discharged hot direct reduced iron from the shaft furnace to produce a mixture of the discharged hot direct reduced iron and the solid carbonaceous material and/or flux before feeding to the hot briquette machine; and processing in the hot briquette machine to produce a product of hot briquetted iron with increased solid carbonaceous material content greater than about 3 weight percent and/or an increased flux content.

A process for producing hot briquetted iron with increased solid carbonaceous material and/or flux includes: providing a shaft furnace of a direct reduction plant to reduce iron oxide with reducing gas; providing a hot briquette machine to produce hot briquetted iron; coupling a chute between a) a discharge exit of the shaft furnace for discharge of hot direct reduced iron and b) an entrance of the hot briquette machine; adding solid carbonaceous material and/or flux to the discharged hot direct reduced iron from the shaft furnace to produce a mixture of the discharged hot direct reduced iron and the solid carbonaceous material and/or flux before feeding to the hot briquette machine; and processing in the hot briquette machine to produce a product of hot briquetted iron with increased solid carbonaceous material content greater than about 3 weight percent and/or an increased flux content.

The method employs a desulfurization agent that is introduced into a smelt of one of molten pig iron and molten steel. The desulfurization agent contains calcium oxide, bitumen and at least one flux agent, with the agent containing 1 to 10% by weight bitumen.