Patent ID: 8133296

Claim:
A process for producing stainless steel based on chromium ore and nickel ore in several process steps coordinated via intermediate products ferrochromium and ferronickel, the process comprising the steps of: providing a process line ( 10 ) having a processing converter ( 6 ), two direct reduction furnaces ( 3 , 4 ) arranged parallel to each other on a primary side of the processing converter, a transfer ladle ( 5 ) for transferring melt from the direct reduction furnaces ( 3 , 4 ) to the processing converter ( 6 ), a foundry ladle ( 7 ) for transporting a produced stainless steel to a casting machine ( 8 ); producing liquid steel with ferrochromium and liquid steel with ferronickel in two separate direct reduction processes using low-cost chromium ore material ( 1 ) and nickel ore raw material mixtures ( 2 ) in the direct reduction furnaces ( 3 , 4 ), respectively; tapping the liquid steel from the two direct reduction furnaces ( 3 , 4 ) into a transfer ladle ( 5 ), liquid steel with ferrochromium being tapped first and liquid steel with ferronickel being tapped thereafter; charging the metal mixture of the liquid steel with ferrochromium and the liquid steel with ferronickel contained in the transfer ladle ( 5 ) into the processing converter ( 6 ); producing the stainless steel in the converter ( 6 ) by oxidation of the metal mixture, slag reduction, and adjustment of a chemical target analysis; and tapping the produced liquid stainless steel into a foundry ladle ( 7 ) and transporting the stainless steel to the casting machine ( 8 ).