Patent ID: 7425230

Claim:
A process for producing metals and primary metal products, comprising: treating a metal ore in a treatment reactor to produce a charge material for a melter-gasifier comprising an at least partially reduced metal-containing material in the form of fine particles; melting the metal-containing charge material in a melter-gasifier, and thereby producing an at least partially reducing working gas in the melter-gasifier; extracting the working gas produced in the melter-gasifier; temporarily storing the charge material produced in the treatment reactor in an intermediate vessel, thereafter, delivering at least part of the stored charge material over the melter-gasifier by removing the charge material from the intermediate vessel and transporting the removed charge material using at least part of the extracted working gas as a carrier gas, for pneumatically transporting the charge material, after delivery over the melter-gasifier, separating the charge material from the carrier gas by a gas/solid separation apparatus, and thereafter introducing the separated charge material into the melter-gasifier.