METHOD AND CARRIER FOR TRANSPORTING REDUCTANT SUCH AS COKE INTO A METALLURGICAL FURNACE AND PRODUCTION METHOD OF THE CARRIER

Abstract

Provided is a method for transporting reductant such as coke into a metallurgical furnace containing a bottom layer containing molten metal and a top layer on top of the bottom layer containing molten metal. The method comprises a first providing step for providing reductant, a second providing step for providing metal, a forming step for forming carriers containing reductant and metal of reductant provided in the first providing step and metal provided in the second providing step, and a feeding step for feeding carriers formed in the forming step into the metallurgical furnace. Also provided is a carrier and a production method for producing carriers.

Claims

1-8. (canceled)

9. A method for transporting reductant such as coke into a metallurgical furnace containing a bottom layer containing molten metal and a top layer on top of the bottom layer, wherein by a first providing step for providing reductant, by a second providing step for providing metal, by a forming step for forming carriers containing reductant and metal of reductant provided in the first providing step and metal provided in the second providing step, by a feeding step for feeding carriers formed in the forming step into the metallurgical furnace, and by forming carriers containing reductant and metal in the forming step having at least the density of the top layer.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein forming carriers containing reductant and metal in the forming step having a density that is lower than the density of the bottom layer containing molten metal.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein forming carriers containing reductant and metal in the forming step having a density of 110 to 190%, preferably 125 to 150%, of the density of the top layer.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein providing metal in the second providing step in the form of copper scrap such as rejected cast anodes, spent cast anodes, and secondary copper.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein by forming in the forming step carriers containing reductant and metal in the form of copper so that the carriers containing in mass percentages between 10 and 70% copper, preferably between 20 and 60% copper, more preferable between 25 and 50% copper, the rest being reductant and optionally binder such as water and possible impurities originating from the reductant provided in the first providing step and/or originating from the copper provided in the second provided step.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein forming in the forming step carriers containing reductant and metal having an average grain size between 10 and 200 mm.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the forming step includes a pressing step for pressing the carriers by means of a press such as a hydraulic press.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein the forming step includes a drying step for drying the carriers.

Description

LIST OF FIGURES

[0017] In the following the method and the carrier will be described in greater detail by referring to the figures, of which

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a metallurgical furnace in the form of a slag cleaning electrical furnace containing a top layer and a bottom layer, and

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a carrier according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The invention relates to a method for transporting reductant such as coke into a metallurgical furnace 1 such as a slag cleaning electric furnace containing a bottom layer 2 containing molten metal such as copper or nickel and a top layer 3 on top of the bottom layer 2 containing molten metal. The top layer 3 may contain slag.

[0021] The invention relates also to a carrier 4 for transporting reductant 5 such as coke into a metallurgical furnace 1 containing a bottom layer 2 containing molten metal such as copper or nickel and a top layer 3 on top of the bottom layer 2 containing molten metal such as copper or nickel.

[0022] The metallurgical furnace 1 may be in the form of a slag cleaning electric furnace, which is used for recovering metal from slag originating from a suspension smelting furnace.

[0023] First the method and some preferred embodiments and variants of the method will be described in greater detail.

[0024] The method comprises a first providing step for providing reductant 5 and a second providing step for providing metal 6 such as copper or nickel.

[0025] The method comprises a forming step for forming carriers 4 containing reductant 5 and metal 6 of reductant 5 provided in the first providing step and metal 6 provided in the second providing step.

[0026] The method comprises a feeding step for feeding carriers 4 formed in the forming step into the metallurgical furnace 1.

[0027] The method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, forming carriers 4 containing reductant 5 and metal 6 in the forming step having at least the density of the top layer 3. In this case the method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, forming carriers 4 containing reductant 5 and metal 6 in the forming step having a density that is lower than the density of the bottom layer 2 containing molten metal.

[0028] The method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, forming carriers 4 containing reductant 5 and metal 6 in the forming step having a density of 90 to 200%, preferably 110 to 190%, more preferably 125 to 150%, of the density of the top layer 3.The forming step of the method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, pressing reductant 5 and metal 6 in the forming step by means of a press (not shown in the figures) such as a hydraulic press to form the carriers 4.

[0029] The method may comprise providing metal 6 in the second providing step in the form of copper scrap such as rejected cast anodes, spent cast anodes, and secondary copper. This provided that the bottom layer 2 containing molten metal contains copper. In such case the production method may comprise a chopping step for chopping the copper scrap, which chopping step is performed prior the forming step.

[0030] The method may comprise forming in the forming step carriers 4 containing reductant 5 and metal 6 in the form of copper so that the carriers 4 containing in mass percentages between 10 and 70% copper, preferably between 20 and 60% copper, more preferable between 25 and 50% copper, the rest being reductant 5 and optionally binder such as water and possible impurities originating from the reductant 5 provided in the first providing step and/or originating from the copper provided in the second provided step. The forming step may optionally include a drying step for strengthening of the carrier.

[0031] The method may comprise forming in the forming step carriers 4 containing reductant 5 and metal 6 having an average grain size between 10 and 200 mm.

[0032] Next the carrier 4 and some embodiments and variants thereof will be described in greater detail.

[0033] The carrier 4 contains reductant 5 and metal 6 such as copper or nickel.

[0034] The density of the carrier 4 is preferably between 3 and 7 g/cm.sup.3.

[0035] The carrier 4 contains preferably, but not necessarily, reductant 5 and metal 6 in the form of at least copper so that the carrier contains in mass percentages between 10 and 70% copper, preferably between 20 and 60% copper, more preferable between 25 and 50% copper, the rest being reductant 5 and optionally binder such as water and possible impurities originating from the reductant 5 and/or originating from the copper.

[0036] The carrier 4 may have an average grain size between 10 and 200 mm.

[0037] The invention relates also to a production method for producing carriers 4 as described earlier. The production method comprises a first providing step for providing reductant 5 and a second providing step for providing metal 6 such as copper or nickel. The production method comprises additionally a forming step for forming carriers 4 containing reductant 5 and metal 6 of reductant 5 provided in the first providing step and metal 6 provided in the second providing step.

[0038] The forming step of the production method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, pressing reductant 5 and metal 6 in the forming step by means of a press (not shown in the figures) such as a hydraulic press to form the carriers 4.

[0039] The production method may comprise providing metal 6 in the second providing step metal 6 in the form of copper scrap such as rejected cast anodes, spent cast anodes, and secondary copper. In such case, the production method may comprise a chopping step for chopping the copper scrap, which chopping step is performed prior the forming step.

[0040] The production method may comprise a drying step for strengthening of the carrier.

[0041] It is apparent to a person skilled in the art that as technology advanced, the basic idea of the invention can be implemented in various ways. The invention and its embodiments are therefore not restricted to the above examples, but they may vary within the scope of the claims.