Abstract |
A procedure for starting up a direct smelting process for producing iron from a metalliferous feed material in a metallurgical vessel is disclosed.The vessel has a plurality of feed material injection lances/tuyeres (11,13).The start-up procedure comprises the steps of : a) preheating the vessel; b) supplying a charge of molten iron and forming a molten bath in the vessel; c) supplying carbonaceous material and flux to the molten bath and injecting oxygen-containing gas through one or more than one feed material injection lance/tuyere and combusting carbon and bath derived gas, and thereby heating the molten bath and generatring slag, and increasing the carbon concentration in the molten bath; and d) when prescribed conditions, such as any one or more of molten bath temperature, carbon concentration in the molten bath and post combustion levels, reach a predetermined threshold, supplying metalliferous feed material and flux and injection of oxygen-containing gas and smelting metalliferous feed material and producing molten iron and thereby completing the start-up procedure. See figure ___________ |