Cupola melting iron or nonferrous metals - using air blast enriched with oxygen to reduce coke consumption

摘要

Metal is made in a second melting process in a shaft furnace, starting from a metal charge, e.g. molten iron made in a cupola and the gas formed by O2 and coke is used to preheat the metal charge. The novelty is that the metal charge is preheated to 200-1540 degrees C, using both the heat and the latent heat in the gas; the O2 in the air is adjusted so Q.Cg D.Cm, where Q is the gas flow and Cg its specific heat; D is the rate of adding the metal charge and Cm its specific heat. Pure O2 may be used and may contain CH4 so the preheating gas contains N2, CO, H2O and H2. The conservation of coke in melting cast iron, but the process may be applied to melting ferro-alloys, Pb or Zn scrap.