Patent ID: 7722800

Claim:
Smelting apparatus comprising a smelting vessel having a shell enclosing an internal space of the vessel and a solids injection lance extending through an opening in the shell of the vessel into the interior space of the vessel, said solids injection lance including a central core tube through which to pass solid particulate material into the vessel and an annular cooling jacket surrounding the central core tube throughout a substantial part of its length and provided with internal water flow passages for flow of cooling water therethrough, wherein the solids injections lance further comprises an annular lance mounting part extending around the annular cooling jacket at a position spaced back from the forward end of the lance to form at that position a lance segment of increased cross sectional size compared to that part of the lance which extends forwardly from it, the vessel shell is provided with a lance mounting tube extending outwardly from the vessel about said opening, and the lance mounting part is received within the mounting tube and extends into or through the opening in the shell.