Patent ID: 6524362
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: C21B,C21C,Y02P

Abstract:
A process of melting fine-grained, direct reduced iron (DRI), wherein at least 80% by weight thereof has a grain size of not more than 3 mm, in an electric arc furnace containing a bath of liquid iron and on the liquid iron a foamy slag layer, where during the operation of the furnace the DRI is fed through at least one vertically adjustable lance from above and through the aperture of the lance into the foamy slag layer and falls through said foamy layer onto the liquid iron, said lance being introduced through the roof of the furnace, wherein the DRI falls through the lance or lances onto the iron bath solely by gravity and without the use of a carrier gas, with each lance aperture being disposed in the foamy slag layer and held at a distance of from 3 to 100 cm above the surface of the iron bath during the operation of the furnace, and the content of the DRI fed to the iron bath through the lance or lances in the entire charge of iron material is 85 to 100 wt %.