Patent ID: 7935172

Claim:
A process that includes the steps of: (a) producing molten steel and molten steelmaking process in a steelmaking vessel, the steelmaking slag including iron units and flux units; and (b) producing molten iron in a direct smelting process in a direct smelting vessel containing a molten bath of iron and iron-making slag by supplying iron ore or pre-treated iron ore and carbonaceous material to the direct smelting vessel as a part of the feed material requirements of the direct smelting process and using a substantial portion of the steelmaking slag from step (a) as another part of the feed material requirements for the direct smelting process and smelting the iron ore or pre-treated iron ore and iron units to produce molten iron, wherein the direct smelting process includes using a slay forming went to provide flux units in addition to the flux units provided by the steelmaking slag, injecting the slag forming agent directly into the direct smelting vessel as opposed to pre-treating the slag forming agent before injection into the vessel as is the case with the steelmaking slag.