Direct smelting vessel and direct smelting process

摘要

A vessel which produces metal from a metalliferous feed material by a direct smelting process is disclosed. The vessel contains a molten bath having a metal layer (15) and a slag layer (16) on the metal layer and has a gas continuous space (31) above the slag layer. The vessel includes a hearth formed of refractory material having a base (3) and sides (55) in contact with the molten metal and side walls (5) which extend upwardly from the sides (55) of the hearth and are in contact with the slag layer and the gas continuous space. The side walls that contact the gas continuous space include water cooled panels (57) and a layer of slag on the panels. The vessel also includes one or more than one lance/tuyere (13) extending downwardly into the vessel and injecting an oxygen-containing gas into the vessel above the metal layer and a plurality of lances/tuyeres (11) injecting at least part of the metalliferous feed material and a carbonaceous material with a carrier gas into the molten bath so as to penetrate the metal layer.