This invention relates to a method of carbothermic process of magnesium production and co-production of calcium carbide, which is particularly suitable for carbothermic process of magnesium production with a mixture of magnesium oxide and calcium oxide as a raw material and carbon as a reducing agent. A mixed powder containing magnesium oxide, calcium oxide and a carbon reducing agent is prepared. The mixed powder is processed into a pelletized furnace feed material, which is placed into a reactor equipped with a heat source. With an absolute pressure P in the reactor being set within the range of 1000 Pa≤P≤atmospheric pressure or to a slightly positive pressure and a reaction temperature T within the range of 11 lg.sup.2P+71 lgP+1210° C.<T<98 lg.sup.2P-129 lgP+1300° C., a smelting reaction is run. Liquid magnesium is obtained through condensation by a condenser connected to the reactor, and after the smelting reaction has finished, calcium carbide is obtained within the reactor. With this method, a potential safety hazard in that a magnesium vapor produced during carbothermic magnesium production, when co-cooled with a CO gas, tends to give rise to a magnesium powder and cause an explosion can be completely avoided, and magnesium production cost can be significantly reduced. This method has a good prospect of industrial application.

An apparatus for direct reduction of iron ore in a solid state including a pre-heating furnace for pre-heating iron ore fragments and biomass in briquettes of these materials to a temperature in the range of 400-900° C.; and a reduction assembly for briquettes from the pre-heating furnace. The reduction assembly includes a reaction chamber, a source of electromagnetic energy in the form of microwave energy, a wave guide for transferring microwave energy to the chamber for heating and reducing iron ore in briquettes from the pre-heating furnace, with biomass acting as a reductant, a source of an inert gas, pipework for supplying the inert gas to the chamber to maintain the chamber under anoxic conditions, and an outlet for discharging an offgas and any retained particulates that are generated in the chamber.

An apparatus for direct reduction of iron ore in a solid state including a pre-heating furnace for pre-heating iron ore fragments and biomass in briquettes of these materials to a temperature in the range of 400-900° C.; and a reduction assembly for briquettes from the pre-heating furnace. The reduction assembly includes a reaction chamber, a source of electromagnetic energy in the form of microwave energy, a wave guide for transferring microwave energy to the chamber for heating and reducing iron ore in briquettes from the pre-heating furnace, with biomass acting as a reductant, a source of an inert gas, pipework for supplying the inert gas to the chamber to maintain the chamber under anoxic conditions, and an outlet for discharging an offgas and any retained particulates that are generated in the chamber.

A circular carbon process involves: a) reacting hydrogen and carbon monoxide to produce methane and water, b) decomposing methane into carbon and hydrogen, and c) using carbon as reducing agent and/or using carbon in a carbon-containing material as reducing agent, in a chemical process to produce carbon monoxide and a reduced substance. The methane produced in a) is used in b), the carbon produced in b) is used in c), and carbon monoxide produced in c) is used in a).

A circular carbon process involves: a) reacting hydrogen and carbon monoxide to produce methane and water, b) decomposing methane into carbon and hydrogen, and c) using carbon as reducing agent and/or using carbon in a carbon-containing material as reducing agent, in a chemical process to produce carbon monoxide and a reduced substance. The methane produced in a) is used in b), the carbon produced in b) is used in c), and carbon monoxide produced in c) is used in a).

A system for smelting tin-containing materials is disclosed. The system includes a pretreatment mechanism, a screening mechanism, a feeding mechanism, a smelting mechanism, a slag treatment mechanism and a tail gas treatment mechanism. In addition, the disclosure discloses a method by using the above system. In the disclosure, dry tin-containing materials can be sieved, and fine tin-containing materials can be conveyed into top-blown furnace molten pool for smelting through the belt, while the coarse tin-containing materials can be sprayed into the molten pool through the spray gun, which can reduce the splashing or material leakage loss of the tin-containing materials with smaller particle size during the transportation process, and also avoid the mechanical inclusion or flying loss caused by the belt; furthermore, the fine dry materials are prevented from adding water before entering furnace, thereby reducing smelting energy consumption and smelting flue gas quantity, and realizing environment-friendly and energy-saving smelting.

A system for smelting tin-containing materials is disclosed. The system includes a pretreatment mechanism, a screening mechanism, a feeding mechanism, a smelting mechanism, a slag treatment mechanism and a tail gas treatment mechanism. In addition, the disclosure discloses a method by using the above system. In the disclosure, dry tin-containing materials can be sieved, and fine tin-containing materials can be conveyed into top-blown furnace molten pool for smelting through the belt, while the coarse tin-containing materials can be sprayed into the molten pool through the spray gun, which can reduce the splashing or material leakage loss of the tin-containing materials with smaller particle size during the transportation process, and also avoid the mechanical inclusion or flying loss caused by the belt; furthermore, the fine dry materials are prevented from adding water before entering furnace, thereby reducing smelting energy consumption and smelting flue gas quantity, and realizing environment-friendly and energy-saving smelting.

A method (10) for preparing a leach feed material, the method (10) comprising the steps of: passing an ore or concentrate containing vanadium and iron to a reduction step (12) to form a reduced ore or concentrate; and passing the reduced ore or concentrate to a ferric leach step (14) to produce a ferric leachate containing iron and a ferric leach residue containing vanadium,
wherein the ferric leach residue is suitable for use as the leach feed material for extracting and recovering vanadium.

A method (10) for preparing a leach feed material, the method (10) comprising the steps of: passing an ore or concentrate containing vanadium and iron to a reduction step (12) to form a reduced ore or concentrate; and passing the reduced ore or concentrate to a ferric leach step (14) to produce a ferric leachate containing iron and a ferric leach residue containing vanadium,
wherein the ferric leach residue is suitable for use as the leach feed material for extracting and recovering vanadium.

This electric furnace includes one or more upper electrodes, one or more bottom-blowing tuyeres, a mechanical stirrer equipped with an impeller, and a charging device which injects an iron oxide-containing iron raw material.