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Abstract

A method and an apparatus for advantageously introducing a flame, a high velocity oxidizing gas, and a high velocity particulate flow into a furnace for metal melting, refining and processing, for example, steel making in an electric arc furnace. The steel making process of an electric arc furnace is made more efficient by shortening the time of the scrap melting phase, introducing a more effective high velocity oxidizing gas stream into the process sooner to decarburize the melted metal and introducing a more effective particulate injection to reduce FeO, form or foam slag and/or recarburize. Improved efficiency is obtained by mounting a fixed burner/lance and carbon injector lower and closer to the hot face of the furnace refractory at an effective injection angle. This mounting technique shortens the distance that the flame of the burner has to melt through scrap to clear a path to the molten metal, and shortens the distance the high velocity oxygen and high velocity particulates travel to the slag-metal interface. One method includes supplying a plurality of oxidizing reaction zones with the high velocity oxidizing gas to decarburize the melted metal and a plurality of particulate reaction zones with high velocity flows of particulate carbon for reducing FeO and/or forming foamy slag. The particulate reaction zones are located on the downstream side of the oxidizing gas reaction zones so as to minimize any effect of the reduction reaction on the decarburization reaction and to recover a part of the hot FeO produced in the oxidizing gas reaction zones.

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First Claim