Direct smelting process and apparatus

摘要

A molten bath-based direct smelting process for producing ferrous metal from a ferrous feed material is disclosed. The process is characterised by injecting pro-heated air downwardly into metallurgical vessel at an angle of 20 to 90° C. relative to a horizontal axis and at a temperature of 800-1400 ° C. and at a velocity of 200-600 m/s via at least one lance ( 27 ) . This step forces molten material in the region of a lower end of the lance away from the lance and forming a "free"space around the lower end of the lance that has a concentration of molten material that is lower than the molten material concentration in the raised bath. The process is further characterised in that the lance is located so that: (i) the lance extends into the vessel a distance that is at least the outer diameter of he lover end of the lance; and (ii) the lower end of the lance is at least 3 times the outer diameter of the lower end of the lance above a quiescent surface of the molt bath.