DIRECT SMELTING PROCESS

摘要

This invention relates to a process for the direct smelting of ores, metallic compounds and the like with the use of a heat plasma. This process can be readily conducted with a simple installation irrespective of the shape of the object being smelted and without the necessity of using any plasma generating gas. The process of the invention is characterized by applying a multiphase AC voltage to a number of graphite electrodes to thereby cause arc discharge in the air and directly impinging a highly reductive non-transferred plasma arc generated by the oxidative decomposition of the graphite electrodes against the object from the tips of the electrodes.