Patent ID: 6251156
Filing Date: 2001-06-26
Classification: C21B,C21C,C22B,Y02P

Abstract:
A method for producing a high purity high carbon molten iron product from iron and carbon bearing material, said high purity high carbon molten iron product containing from about 1.0% to about 5.0% carbon, said method comprising the steps of:(a) forming compacts consisting of iron bearing, carbon containing materials, silicon oxide, manganese oxide and sulfur;(b) charging carbon containing materials and the compacts from said forming step into a rotary hearth furnace;(c) pre-reducing the compacts in the rotary hearth furnace by heating the compacts to form pre-reduced high carbon hot metallized iron compacts;(d) discharging the pre-reduced high carbon hot metallized iron compacts from the rotary hearth furnace at a temperature of about 700.degree. C. to about 1100.degree. C.;(e) continuously introducing the pre-reduced high carbon hot metallized iron compacts directly from the rotary hearth furnace into an electric melter;(f) heating and melting the pre-reduced high carbon hot metallized iron compacts in the electric melter at a temperature of about 1300.degree. C. to about 1700.degree. C. to form high carbon molten iron;(g) preventing oxidation of the high carbon molten iron via minimization of the ingress of oxygen containing gas in said heating step;(h) carburizing the high carbon molten iron to form high carbon molten metallized iron;(i) purifying the high carbon molten metallized iron by reducing silicon oxides to silicon, reducing manganese oxide to manganese and desulfurizing the high carbon molten metallized iron to produce high purity high carbon molten iron product;(j) discharging high purity high carbon molten iron product from the electric melter; and(k) maintaining a minimum high purity high carbon liquid iron heel of about 1 to about 4 times the quantity of the intermittently tapped high purity high carbon molten iron product.