APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS FROM SELF-FLUXING OR NOT, SELF-REDUCING AGGLOMERATES OR ORES

Abstract: Apparatus for producing ferrous or non-ferrous metals from self-fluxing or not, self-reducing agglomerates or ores, being a shaft furnace, comprising a cylindrical or conical shaft (1), having, at the top portion thereof, a loading gate or device (2) and an outlet for gases through a chimney (3) or conduits leading the same to heat regenerators and also having one or more rows of tuyeres (4, 5) for blowing air; and a cylindrical or conical hearth (8) having a diameter greater than that of shaft (1) by an amount sufficient for positioning fuel feeders (6) directly over a fuel bed (7); and on the lower portion, one or more rows of tuyeres (9) distributed so as to blow air and for injecting or not liquid, gaseous, or solid fuel sprayed beneath the feeders (6) and further including pouring spout(s) for discharge of molten metal and slag; and wherein both the shaft and the hearth are lined with refractory (1) and/or are cooled or not.

Description: APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FERROUS OR NON- FERROUS METALS FROM SELF-FLUXING OR NOT, SELF-REDUCING AGGLOMERATES OR ORES. Technical Field The present invention relates to a metallur¬ gical apparatus intended for use in producing pig iron, cast iron or another cast metal alloy by the reduction of self-fluxing or not, self-reducing agglomerates, formed by iron ore or iron oxide or other ores or oxides of other metals, agglomerated or not, and yet to the simple melting of metal charges or metal charges plus self-reducing agglomerates in any proportion so as to obtain liquid metals such as, for example,liquid pig iron, liquid cast iron or other liquid metal alloys. Background Art Conventional processes for obtaining pig iron have been known such as, for instance, processes in blast-furnaces or electrical reducing furnaces and the like starting from iron oxide and iron ores after a particle size adjustment and from conventional pellets and other traditional agglomerates so as to obtain solid or liquid iron with a determined composition by operations which are classical in these furnaces. Inblast-furnaces, the charge comprising classified ore, pellets, sinter and other classical agglomerates, coke and limestone, is sequentially loaded by the top portion so as to form a continuous column of charge. Atmospheric air is introduced in the furnace lower portion, which air is preheated in regenerative or non-regenerative heaters to a tempera¬ ture of 300 to 1200 C through a row of tuyeres at the upper portion of the furnace hearth. At this point, a zone with a reducing atmosphere is formed, due to the pressure of carbon monoxide formed by reaction of CO with carbon from the coke. This CO is combined with oxygen from the iron oxide and this reduces the latter to metallic iron so as to produce pig iron. The impurities, namely ore gangue and coke ashes, form a less dense liquid slag floating over the surface of molten pig iron. The gases which are formed countercurrently with the charge preheat such charge and exit through the top portion. This gas comprises mainly CO, CO , N and H and it is routed to the regenerative preheaters for the combustion air entering the furnace and to other heating apparatusses. Disclosure of the invention The present invention is related to an apparatus comprising a shaft furnace for providing cast iron, pig iron and other metal alloys for foundries and metallurgical plants in economical conditions more favourable than the traditional plants with conventional blast furnaces and other reducing furnaces. For classical pellets, the reduction is carried out through CO generated from partial combus¬ tion of the coke. CO diffuses into the agglomerate and a reduction following the reaction MeO + CO —>Me + CO takes place. CO generated in this reaction diffuses in the opposite direction to CO. This reaction requires a certain time for the complete CO diffusion into the ore or conventional pellet, implying thus the need of using furnaces with high residence times for the charge therewithin, which times are typical of blast furnaces. On the other hand, self-reducing pellets present conditions which are much more favourable to reduction. A more intimate contact between the ore or oxide and finely divided charcoal or coke provides for a less reaction time since the step of diffusing CO into the pellet is not required and the reduction takes place by the reactions : co 2 + C 2 CO MeO + CO ► Me + CO In this sense, the agglomerate itself provides in practice a semi-closed system with a reducing atmosphere during all the period of time in which there is available carbon therein. Otherwise, the self- reducing agglomerate, as indicated by their designation, will maintain therein an own reducing atmosphere which will not depend on the characteristics of the exterior atmosphere, that is, the kind of atmosphere existing within a shaft furnace and provided by the upwardly-flowing gases. In this way, it is possible to convert the CO present in the furnace atmosphere and coming from the fuel partial combustion and from the reaction reduction taking place within the pellets, into energy for the process. On the other hand, in the melting processes in blast furnaces, the coke or another solid fuel charged by the top during the operation, travels through a descending path with the rest of the charge and reacts countercurrently with the ascending CO , following the reaction CO -_■ C— -2CO, so as to result in a higher consumption of carbonaceous material without effectively gaining advantage in the reducing- melting process. If it was possible to carry out CO combustion in the actual process, we would obtain a higher efficiency which results in savings in fuel coke in cupola furnaces and in fuel and reducing agent in blast furnaces and in any other shaft furnace employed for reducing/melting or melting only of any other metal alloy. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 represents an elevational view of a shaft furnace embodying the present invention. Figure 2 represents a sectional view through a plane passing by the top tuyere row in the furnace of figure 1. Best Mode of Carrying out the Invention The shaft furnace embodying this invention has innovations capable of rendering feasible the combustion of CO or of any other upwardly-flowing combustible gas which is present therein, such as H , CH and the like, and of preventing the endothermic reaction of said gases with the fuel or reducing agent employed. This novel furnace development comprises basically a conical or cylindrical shaft 1 having circular or any other cross-sectional shape which can have at the top portion thereof, a loading gate or device 2 and an outlet for the gases which in this case are mainly comprised of varying contents of CO , CO, H and N flowing through the chimney 2 or being routed to the heat regenerators or recuperative heaters for preheating the blast air. Shaft 1 has one or several rows of tuyeres 4 and 5 which blow cold or hot, 0 -enriched or not, air to the burning reaction of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide (CO + 1/2 0 — ■ CO) providing additional heat for heating the charge comprising self-reducing, self-fluxing or not, ores, pig iron, scrap, foundry or steelwork wastes or mixtures of these components in the several possible proportions, from 0 to 100% of every one. Hearth 8 is cylindrically or conically shaped having circular or any other cross-sectional shape, with the diameter of its upper portion being greater than that of shaft 1, by a sufficient amount for positioning the feeders 6 for coke, charcoal or any other solid fuel. These feeders are distributed about the hearth in a number sufficient for promoting a suitable feed of the fuel bed 7. Hearth 8 possesses one or more rows of tuyeres 9 distributed so as to blow preheated or non- preheated air, with or without 0 -enrichment and with or without injection of liquid, gaseous or solid fuels sprayed beneath feeders 6 for total or partial combustion of the fuel, thereby to provide the thermal energy required for reducing and/or melting the charge. The shaft and the hearth can have a onolythic or non- monolythic refractory lining 10 and/or they may be cooled or not. Bottom of hearth 8 can be flat or have a conical elevation 11 for a better distribution of the fuel bed and in this case, it could present a siphon which may be pressurized or not or even a depression 12 to facilitate separation between slag and molten metal. Molten metal and slag exit continuously or discontinuously the apparatus through the hearth lower portion by means of pouring spout(s). In this type of furnace, fuel is not added together with the charge in the shaft top as in the conventional processes (although this could be done) but rather it is added by means of special devices 6 situated over the fuel bed at the shaft 1 - hearth 8 junction. Hearth 8 will operate as a gasifier and heat generator for melting the material which is metallized and preheated in shaft 1, in the case one utilizes part of the charge comprising self-reducing agglomerates or ores or which is simply preheated in the case one employs pig iron, scrap, foundry and steelwork wastes or any other metal alloy as constituents of the charge. The shaft furnace with these improvements presents zones with distinct atmospheres having characteristics which are regulable by the type of fuel employed and by the higher or less comburent injection at the various locations provided therefcr. The gases coming from the lower zone in countercurrent with the charge, transfer the thermal energy necessary for heating and reduction to this latter. Since the charge in shaft 1 does not include coke, charcoal or any other solid fuel, the reaction CO + C — >~ 2C0 which is endothermic and which consumes considerable amounts of carbon does not take place. Thus, exhaust gases exiting the apparatus comprise essentially CO and N . The apparatus proposed in the present invention allows for a greater flexibility in the operation and one can both effect melting of scrap, pig iron and foundry and steelwork wastes as well as of any metal alloy in, for instance, conventional cupola furnaces, and reduce pellets and other self- reducing agglomerates or ores with or without addition of scrap, pig iron, and/or foundry or steelwork wastes or any other metal alloy. Because no fuel is added through the shaft, there is an appreciable decrease in the consumption thereof since no loss of carbon by reaction with CO from the upwardly-flowing gases, occurs. This shaft furnace has the advantage, over cupola, blast furnaces or any other shaft furnace, of providing large fuel savings, inasmuch as carbon monoxide and other gases formed in the lower portion thereof can be burned at its upper portion so as to transfer thermal energy released during reaction to the charge descending through the shaft. The exhaust gases are formed almost exclusively by carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The shaft furnace also operates as a kind of reducing and melting furnace, for self-reducing agglomerates and pellets and/or ores by employing coke, ^charcoal or any other fuel fed near the fuel bed. Also in this case, carbon monoxide formed in the hearth is burned along the shaft and the generated heat is almost integrally transferred to the descending charge thus increasing considerably thermal efficiency of the apparatus. Furthermore, since the apparatus does not include charcoal, coke or any other solid fuel in the shaft charge, the reaction CO + C — >~ 2C0 or any other like endothermic reaction fails to occur so as to result in a decrease in fuel consumption. Industrial Applicability The apparatus is intended for use in producing pig iron, cast iron, or any other cast metal alloy in foundries and metallurgical plants in extremely advantageous conditions under an economical standpoint.

Claims: CLAIMS 1 - Apparatus for producing ferrous or non- ferrous metals from self-fluxing or not, self-reducing agglomerates or ores, being a shaft furnace, and characterized by the fact of comprising a cylindrical or conical shaft (1), with circular or any other cross-sectional shape and having, at the top portion thereof, a loading gate or device (2) and an outlet for gases through a chimney (3) or conduits leading the same to heat regenerators and also having one or more rows of tuyeres (4,5) for blowing preheated or non-preheated and/or 0 -enriched or not air; and a cylindrical or conical hearth (8) with circular or any other cross-sectional shape having a diameter greater than that of shaft (1) by an amount sufficient for positioning fuel feeders (6) directly over a fuel bed (7); and on the lower portion, one or more rows of tuyeres (9) distributed so as to blow preheated or non-preheated and 0_-enriched or not air and for 2 injecting or not liquid, gaseous, or solid fuels sprayed beneath the feeders (6) and further including pouring spout(s) for continuous or discontinuous discharge of molten metal and slag; and wherein both the shaft and the hearth are lined with refractory (10) and/or are cooled or not. 2 - Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that hearth (8) has a flat bottom. 3 - Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that hearth (8) has a bottom with a conical elevation (11) for a better distribution of the fuel bed (7). 4 - Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that hearth (8) has a pressurized siphon. 5 - Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that hearth (8) has a non-pressurized siphon, 6 - Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that hearth (8) has a depression (12) at the bottom thereof to facilitate separation between molten metal and slag. 7 - Apparatus in accordance with claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said furnace has zones with distinct atmospheres regulable by the type of fuel employed and by the greater or smaller comburent injection at the several locations provided therefor. 8 - Apparatus in accordance with claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the reducing or combustible gases which rise countercurrently are burned near the tuyeres (4, 5) so as to transfer their thermal energy directly to the descending charge. 9 - Apparatus in accordance with claims 1 to 8, characterized in that charcoal, coke or any other solid fuel is absent in the charge loaded through the shaft (1) so as to avoid therein the endothermic reaction between carbon dioxide and carbon. 10 - Apparatus in accordance with claims 1 to 9, characterized by permitting melting and reducing charges comprised both of self-reducing agglomerates and ores and of pig iron, scrap and foundry or steelwork wastes or any other metal alloy in any proportion, each constituent varying from 0 to 100 percent.

Inventors: CONTRUCCI MARCOS ALBUQUERQUE, COSTA PEDRO HENRIQUE CARPINETT, DURAN PEDRO VENTRELLA, GONZALES ENRIQUE LOPEZ, JACOMINI NORBERTO, RIZZO HENRIQUE PEROTTA, SCHWARZ HERBERT, SOUZA SANTOS ADALBERTO BIERREN, CONTRUCCI, MARCOS, ALBUQUERQUE, COSTA, PEDRO, HENRIQUE, CARPINETTI, DURAN, PEDRO, VENTRELLA, GONZALES, ENRIQUE, LOPEZ, JACOMINI, NORBERTO, RIZZO, HENRIQUE, PEROTTA, SCHWARZ, HERBERT, SOUZA SANTOS, ADALBERTO, BIERRENBACH DE
Applicants: SETEPLA TECNOMETAL ENGENHARIA, TUPY FUNDICA LTDA
Application year: 1986
Main classification: F27B1
IPC codes: C21B11, C21B13, F27B1