Patent ID: 6409790
Filing Date: 2002-06-25
Classification: C21B,C21C,C22B

Abstract:
A method for thermally processing a metallic oxide with a carbonaceous material in one or more chambers, wherein each of the one or more chambers has a charging end and a discharging end, to produce a hot metallized/carbon product which is subsequently melted in a melter to make a molten metal and a molten slag, comprising:feeding the metallic oxide and the carbonaceous material to the charging end of said one or more chambers and forcing the metallic oxide and the carbonaceous material toward the discharging end of said one or more chambers; injecting an oxidant in such a way as to utilize at least a portion of the energy contained in said carbonaceous material to release thermal energy and produce pressurized reducing gases to reduce the metallic oxide to form a hot metallized/carbon product; discharging said hot metallized/carbon product from said one or more chambers into the melter; heating the metallized/carbon product in the melter to produce a hot pressurized off-gas, a molten metal and a molten slag; and segregating the off-gas, the molten slag and the molten metal.