Method and installation for removing slag from metallurgical melts

Abstract

A method and an installation (10) for removing slag allows both slag removal and metal recovery from slag (60′) to be performed quickly and easily. The risk of slag fires is reduced.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A method for removing slag from a metallurgical melt (12), comprising: drawing off the slag (60, 60′) from the melt (12); and pressing the slag (60, 60′) before being transferred into a slag container (62).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the slag (60, 60′) is pressed with an extractor device (36) used for extracting the slag (60, 60′).

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the slag (60, 60′) is pressed between the extractor device (36) and a counter-bearing (48), wherein the counter-bearing (48) is displaceable.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein molten material emerging from the slag (60′) during pressing is fed to the melt (12).

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the slag (60′) rests on a sill (24) of a melting furnace (14) during pressing out, and wherein pressing the slag is started immediately after the slag (60′) has been drawn off onto the sill (24).

18. An installation (10) for removing slag from metallurgical melts (12), wherein the installation (10) is adapted to withdraw slag (60, 60′) from the melt (12), and wherein the installation (10) comprises: means (36) for extracting the slag (60, 60′) from the melt (12); and means (46) for pressing that are adapted to press the slag (60′) before transferring the slag (60) to a slag container (62).

19. The installation (10) according to claim 18, wherein the means (36) for extracting are part of the means (46) for pressing.

20. The installation (10) according to claim 18, wherein the means (36) for extracting comprise a draw-off blade (40) to which a counter-blade (48) is assigned, such that the slag (60′) can be pressed out between the draw-off blade (40) and the counter-blade (48).

21. The installation (10) according to claim 20, wherein the draw-off blade (40) and the counter-blade (48) each have lower edges, wherein the lower edge of the draw-off blade (40) is arranged at a same height as or above the lower edge of the counter-blade (48) during pressing, such that molten material emerging from the slag (60′) is discharged under the draw-off blade (40).

22. The installation (10) according to claim 18, wherein the means (46) for pressing have surfaces pressing the slag (60′) between them, wherein at least on one of the surfaces comprises guides for diverting molten material emerging from the slag (60′), and wherein the guides are formed as perforations.

23. The installation (10) according to claim 20, wherein the draw-off blade (40) and/or the counter-blade (48) are formed to be able to be cooled.

24. The installation according to claim 20, wherein the means (46) for pressing have ejectors for detaching the slag (60′) from the means (36) for pressing, wherein the ejectors are formed as plungers that are arranged on the draw-off blade (40) and/or the counter-blade (48).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an installation for removing slag from metallurgical melts in interaction with a melting furnace.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows the installation in accordance with FIG. 1 in interaction with the melting furnace in a sectional view in a first operating state (in front of the furnace, furnace closed).

[0040] FIG. 3 shows the installation in accordance with FIG. 1 in interaction with the melting furnace in a sectional view in a second operating state (furnace open and draw-off blade maximally inward).

[0041] FIG. 4 shows the installation in accordance with FIG. 1 in interaction with the melting furnace in a sectional view in a third operating state (furnace open and draw-off blade and counter-blade pressing slag onto sill),

[0042] FIG. 5 shows the installation in accordance with FIG. 1 in interaction with the melting furnace in a sectional view in a fourth operating state (furnace open and draw-off blade and counter-blade outside, slag falls into bucket).

[0043] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the draw-off blade and counter-blade.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] FIGS. 1 to 5 show an installation 10 for removing slag from melts 12. The installation 10 cooperates with a melting furnace 14. The melting furnace 14 is formed as a hearth-type melting furnace and has a melting area 18. The melting area 18 can be closed by a vertically movable furnace door 16 and has a charging opening 20, a furnace ramp 22 and a furnace sill 24.

[0045] Thereby, the slag removal unit 10 has a base 28 that can be moved laterally past the melting furnace 14 on rails 26, on which control equipment 30 and an operator station 32 with a heat shield 34 are arranged.

[0046] Means 36 for extracting, comprising a telescoping mast or boom 38 and a draw-off blade 40 attached thereto, are further arranged on the base 28. The draw-off blade 40 has perforations (not shown), which completely penetrate the draw-off blade 40; that is, they extend through from the side turned towards the counter-blade 48 to the melting area 18.

[0047] First controllable means 42 are provided for driving the extending and retracting motion of the telescopic mast or boom 38. Second controllable means 44 are provided for the vertical displacement of the mast or boom 38. Such means 42, 44 may be formed to be hydraulic means, for example. However, a purely electrical formation is also possible. It is only important that both the depth of penetration of the draw-off blade 40 into the furnace 14 and the vertical height of the draw-off blade 40 above the melt 12 are adjustable.

[0048] Furthermore, the draw-off blade 40 is part of the means 46 for pressing, which additionally comprise a counter-blade 48 that is arranged on an additional telescopic arm 50. Such arm 50 is also hydraulically actuated by way of example, wherein the vertical height is provided by a parallelogram guide 52 and hydraulic means 54, and the extension and retraction of the telescopic arm 50 are provided with controllable hydraulic means 56. Here as well, the hydraulic means 54, 56 could also be of purely electrical form. Importantly, both the depth of penetration of the counter-blade 48 into the furnace 14 and the vertical height of the counter-blade 48 above the furnace sill 24 are adjustable.

[0049] The draw-off blade 40 and counter-blade 48 are controlled by an operator (not shown) at the operator station 32 in conjunction with control equipment 30, which receives its power from a power supply line (not shown), which is attached to a boom 58 at the base 28, to prevent it from getting caught in the rails 26.

[0050] Discharge means 64 are arranged on the side of the furnace sill 24 for discharging the slag 60 into the slag container 62 (bucket) that can be provided.

[0051] In addition, means (not shown) for removing adhering slag 60′ can be provided in the draw-off blade 40 and/or in the counter-blade 48, which means are formed, for example, as activatable mandrels, plungers or the like. If necessary, they can protrude from the inside of the draw-off blade 40 and/or the counter-blade 48, as the case may be, over the pressing surfaces 66 or 68, as the case may be (see FIG. 3), and thus repel the slag 60′.

[0052] In addition, means (not shown) for cooling the draw-off blade 40 and/or the counter-blade 48 may be provided, by which such blades 40, 48 are each formed to be cooled. In the example shown in FIG. 6, only the counter-blade 48 is formed to be air-cooled, wherein cooled compressed air is routed through lines 69 and directed through channels (not shown) in the counter-blade 48. In FIG. 6, to improve clarity, the means 46 for pressing are not shown.

[0053] FIG. 6 shows that the pressing surface 66 of the draw-off blade 40 has a surface structure 70 with elevations 72 and depressions 74 arranged in a waffle-like manner. In addition, perforations 76 are provided in the pressing surface 66 to fully penetrate the draw-off blade 40.

[0054] The pressing surface 68 of the counter-blade 48 shown in FIG. 6 is provided with a surface structure 78 that is complementary to the surface structure 70 of the draw-off blade 40, such that elevations 72 in the draw-off blade 40 meet depressions 80 in the counter-blade and depressions 74 in the draw-off blade 40 meet elevations 82 in the counter-blade 48. This results in particularly good pressure distribution, with pressure peaks forming locally in the transitions from elevations 72, 82 and depressions 74, 80, which ensure particularly good pressing.

[0055] The method in accordance with the disclosure is now carried out as follows.

[0056] A charging device, not shown, is used to charge the melting furnace 14 with starting material and to close the furnace door 16. After complete formation of the melt 12, the installation 10 is placed in front of the furnace door 16 by means of the rails 26 and the furnace door 16 is opened (see FIG. 2).

[0057] Subsequently, the draw-off blade 40 with the telescopic mast 38 is inserted into the melting area 18 (see FIG. 3) and portions 60′ of the slag 60 are pulled over the furnace ramp 22 onto the furnace sill 24 and pressed against the counter-blade 48. Beforehand, the lower edge of the counter-blade 48 is placed on the furnace sill 24 (see FIG. 4).

[0058] Alternatively, a large part or the entire melting area 18 of the melting furnace 14 can be cleared of slag 60 first, wherein the slag 60′ is deposited on the furnace sill 24, and only then is the pressing out performed.

[0059] Due to the pressure during pressing out between the draw-off blade 40 and the counter-blade 48, the molten material contained in the slag 60′ emerges and passes through the draw-off blade 40 through the perforations 76, such that it is conveyed back into the melt 12. In addition, molten material in the channels formed by the counter-rotating elevations 72, 82 and depressions 74, 80 flows downward in the direction of the furnace sill 24 and from there into melt 12.

[0060] Thereby, the counter-blade 48 acts as a barrier, such that neither molten material nor slag 60′ can pass out of the melting furnace 14 via the sill 24. In turn, the draw-off blade 40 prevents the slag 60′ from returning to the melting area 18.

[0061] In addition, the lower edge of the draw-off blade 40 can be raised relative to the furnace sill 24 sufficiently to allow molten metal to flow back into the melt 12 between the draw-off blade 40 and the furnace sill 24, without carrying slag 60′ into the melt 12 during pressing. In doing so, the lower edge of the counter-blade 48 rests on the furnace sill 24, in order to effect a seal with respect to the molten material. Due to the slope of the furnace sill 24, it is sufficient for this purpose that the lower edge of the draw-off blade 40 is at the same height as the lower edge of the counter-blade 48.

[0062] FIGS. 4 and 6 show that the draw-off blade 40 and the counter-blade 48 are arranged plane-parallel to each other with a downward slope in the direction of the melting area 18, thereby conveying the discharge of liquid metal that is pressed out from the slag 60′ into the melt 12.

[0063] However, instead of a plane-parallel arrangement, for example, an arrangement could also be selected with which the distance between the draw-off blade 40 and the counter-blade 48 tapers upwards, such that the pressure acts downwards and thus the slag 60′ or the molten material, as the case may be, does not emerge upwards.

[0064] The counter-blade 48 is then pulled away from the melting furnace 14 and the pressed-out slag 60′ is conveyed by means of the draw-off blade 40 via the discharge means 64 into the slag container 62 (see FIG. 5). In doing so, the means for ejecting the slag 60′ in the draw-off blade 40 and counter-blade 48 can be activated to better detach the slag 60′ from the blades 40, 48. This detachment can also be promoted by activating the means for cooling the draw-off blade 40 and/or counter-blade 48 at least during ejection, but preferably already during pressing.

[0065] Alternatively or additionally, the pressing surfaces 66, 68 could also be provided with a non-stick coating (black wash) for the slag, consisting for example of graphite paste or boron nitride.

[0066] Such process is repeated until the melting furnace 14 is completely deslagged, wherein such process takes 15 min to 20 min for typical melting furnaces 14 with a capacity of 35 to 60 tons. In doing so, the amount of work can be reduced by using wider draw-off blades 40 and counter-blades 48, wherein the counter-blade 48 is preferably wider than the draw-off blade 40, such that the draw-off blade 40 can be worked freely against the counter-blade 40, which is firmly supported on the furnace sill 24, without allowing the slag 60′ or molten material to escape from the melting furnace 14.

[0067] It can be seen that removing slag and pressing can be carried out in a single operation, which considerably reduces the working time and the installation 10 for removing slag nevertheless does not have to be formed to be significantly more complex than previously existing installations, as shown by example in DE 197 29 702 A1.

[0068] While the previously known methods only reduce the metal losses after the slag has already left the melting process, here the slag 60 is pressed out even before cooling in the melting furnace 14, by which the initial accumulation of metal losses is already reduced. In doing so, a substantial metal portion of the slag 60 flows back into the melting furnace 14, such that such portion does not have to be processed and remelted. Furthermore, the slag 60 cools down already during the pressing process, and thus further metal losses due to slag fires are reduced.

[0069] By such measures, the metal content of the slag 60′ can be reduced by approximately 50% by pressing out in the melting furnace 14. Such metal remains in the process.

[0070] Advantageously, the means for pressing are designed for a pressing force of 20 kN, or more if necessary, although larger pressing forces can also be used for larger surfaces and counter-surfaces of the draw-off blade 40 and the counter-blade 48.

[0071] The materials are to be designed accordingly, wherein a heat-resistant cast steel material, such as is also used for the slag container 54, is preferably used for the draw-off blade 40 and the counter-blade 48. However, welded or forged blades 40, 48 can also be used. The blades 40, 48 may also comprise titanium.

[0072] Although the invention has been substantially explained in connection with the production of aluminum from recycled material, the invention is not limited thereto; other metals and alloys may also be processed and ores may also be used for their production.

[0073] From the foregoing, it is clear that the present invention provides a method and an installation 10 for removing slag, which allows both slag removal and metal recovery from slag 60 to be performed quickly and easily and reduces the risk of slag fires.

[0074] Unless otherwise indicated, all features of the present disclosure may be freely combined. Also, unless otherwise indicated, the features described in the figure description may be freely combined with the other features. A restriction of individual features of the exemplary embodiment to the combination with other features of the exemplary embodiment is explicitly not intended in this context; such individual features can be used independently for combination with other features, in particular features specified in the set of claims. In addition, subject matter features can also be reformulated and used as method features, and method features can be reformulated and used as subject matter features. Thus, such a reformulation is automatically disclosed.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0075] 10 Installation for removing slag [0076] 12 Melt [0077] 14 Melting furnace [0078] 16 Furnace door [0079] 18 Melting area [0080] 20 Charging opening [0081] 22 Furnace ramp [0082] 24 Furnace sill [0083] 26 Rails [0084] 28 Movable base of the installation 10 [0085] 30 Control equipment [0086] 32 Operator station [0087] 34 Heat shield [0088] 36 Means for extracting [0089] 38 Telescopic mast or boom, as the case may be [0090] 40 Draw-off blade [0091] 42 First controllable means [0092] 44 Second controllable means [0093] 46 Means for pressing [0094] 48 Counter-blade [0095] 50 Telescopic arm [0096] 52 Parallelogram guide for arm 50 [0097] 54 Controllable means [0098] 56 Controllable means [0099] 58 Boom [0100] 60 Slag [0101] 60′ Portions of slag 60 [0102] 62 Slag container, bucket [0103] 64 Discharge means [0104] 66 Pressing surface of the draw-off blade 40 [0105] 68 Pressing surface of the counter-blade 48 [0106] 69 Lines for compressed air for cooling [0107] 70 Surface structure of the pressing surface 66 of the draw-off blade 40 [0108] 72 Elevations [0109] 74 Depressions [0110] 76 Openings in the pressing surface 66 [0111] 78 Surface structure of the pressing surface 68 of the counter-blade 48 [0112] 80 Depressions [0113] 82 Elevations