Direct Reduction Fundamental and

Applications - Short Course*

AISTech 2007
M 6,
May 6 2007
Westin Indianapolis Hotel
Indianapolis, Ind., USA

Direct Reduction Systems and Products

Roy Whipp
Whipp Technology Inc.

•Adaptation of Short Course by Roy Whipp

Definitions
 Why Direct Reduction?
n Allows steelmaking to dilute metallic residuals in
scrap
n Has a constant composition

n Charging with scrap in buckets will increase the

density and can reduce buckets charged

n Provides BF steelmaking processes with lower CO
2
emission
n Allows production capacity increase in blast furnaces
 What Is Direct Reduction?
Direct reduction is the removal of oxygen from iron ore without
melting. Direct reduced iron (DRI) is a high quality iron product
that is p
produced in ppellet and lump
p forms and is g
generallyy used
at an adjacent steelmaking facility.

Source: Midrex Technologies

 Iron in Nature
n Iron
Most important metal. It ranks fourth in abundance next to
oxygen, silicon and aluminum. The average composition of the
earth contains 4.15% iron.
n Oxides
Common oxides of iron found in the natural state are Fe2O3 and
Fe3O4.
n Impurities
p
Common impurities found in iron oxides are the gangue
components SiO2 and Al2O3, sulfur, phosphorus, and bound and
free water.
 Compounds of Iron
n Fe2O3 - Hematite
n Fe3O4 - Magnetite
n FeO - Wustite (really Fe0.95O)
n Fe - Metallic iron or iron
n Fe2O3
O3-HH2O - Geothite
n FeCO3 - Siderite
n FeS2 - Pyrite
Types Of Processes
 Gas-Based Processes
Fines & Feedstock
Iron Ore
Pellets/Lumps
p Preparation
p
Natural
Gas Process
Gas
Process Gas
Preparation
Reduction Unit

Coal

Hot Cold/Hot
Briquetting Discharge

HBI DRI
 Direct Reduction Reactions
n With H2
3 Fe2O3 + H2 = 2 Fe3O4 + H2O
Fe3O4 + H2 = 3 FeO + H2O
FeO + H2 = Fe + H2O
n With CO
3 Fe2O3 + CO = 2 Fe3O4 + CO2
Fe3O4 + CO = 3 FeO + CO2
F O + CO = Fe
FeO F + CO2
n With Solid Carbon in Reaction
CO2 + C = 2CO
 Categories of Oxide Feed
n Granular
Feed in the form of ppellets p
produced in a p
pelletizing
gpplant from ore
fines, or as naturally occurring lump iron ore. Usually > 6-8 mm in
size.

n Fines
Iron ore fines generally under 6 mm in size although may be under
12 mm. These may be naturally occurring or may have been
concentrated in order to improve the quality.
quality
 General Process Feed Materials

Feed Gas Solid

Fines CIRCORED (FB) FASTMET (RG)
FINMET (FB)

Granular HYL (SF) DRC (Kiln)

MIDREX (SF) SL/RN (Kiln)

FB = Fluid Bed
SF = Shaft Furnace
RG = Rotary Grate
 Categories of Reductants
n Gas
Natural gas or other gaseous stream that can be reformed or
cracked to produce H2 or CO to be used in the reduction of the
oxide. High methane containing natural gas is the most
common form. Gas may be a byproduct of other processes.

n Solid
Carbon containing solid reductant such as coal, petro-coke or
cchar.
a Usua
Usually
y has
as to be ssmaller
a e tthan
a lump
u p ssize
e to facilitate
ac tate
reaction with oxide. In rotary hearth processes it has to be
finely ground to allow it to be mixed with the ore to make
pellets.
 Categories of Reactors
n Shaft Furnace
Vertical cylindrical vessels containing internal refractory insulation.
The granular oxide feed flows down by gravity and is contacted by
upflowing reducing gas.

n Fluid
Fl id Bed
B d
Cylindrical, generally vertical, vessels which are internally
insulated. Iron oxide fines are either maintained in fluidized
suspension or are carried out of the reactor by the reducing gas
and recirculated (CFB).
 Categories of Reactors
n Rotary Kiln
Inclined rotating cylindrical vessels containing internal refractory
i
insulation.
l ti Th granular
The l oxideid flows
fl along
l th kiln
the kil aided
id d byb the
th
use of lifters, and is contacted by reducing gas from a solid
reductant.

n Rotary Hearth
A round flat hearth which rotates in the horizontal plane. Pellets
made of oxide fines mixed with solid reductant are charged and
heated, which results in the reduction of the oxide.
Major Process
Characteristics
Direct Reduction Processes

n CIRCORED
n DRC

n FINMET

n HYL

n MIDREX

n SL/RN
 CIRCORED Process

n Feed Fines 2 to 0.1 mm

n Reductant Reformed nat g gas
n Reactor Type Fluid beds (2)
n Pressure 4 bar
n Temperature 630 C
n Product HBI
n Use Merchant
n Unit capacity 0.500 Mt/y
CIRCORED Process Flow Sheet
CIRCORED Plant - Trinidad
 DRC Process

n Feed Pellets or lump ore

n Reductant Coal
C
n Reactor Type Rotary Kiln
n Pressure 0 bar
n Temperature 1000 C
n Product DRI
n Use Captive
n Unit capacity 0.125 Mt/y
DRC Process Flow Sheet
DRC Plant – South Africa
 FINMET Process

n Feed Fines 10 to 0.01 mm

n Reductant Reformed nat gas
n Reactor Type Fluid beds (4)
n Pressure 12 bar
n Temperature 450-800 C
n Product HBI
n Use Merchant
n Unit capacity (4 trains) 2.2 Mt/y
FINMET Process Flow Sheet
FINMET Plant - Venezuela
 FINEX Process
Fine Ore Non-coking Coal

Hot DRI
Compaction Coal
R4 Briquetting
R3
CBQ
Reactors R2
CO2
R1 HCI Power Plant
Removal
Fluidized Bed
Reduction
Melter
G ifi
Gasifier
Oxygen Plant
Process
Optimization
FINEX Plant – S. Korea
 HYL Process

n Feed Pellets or lump ore

n Reductant Reformed natural ggas
n Reactor Type Shaft furnace
n Pressure 5-6 bar
n Temperature 800-850 C Normal
n Product DRI or HBI
n Use Merchant or captive
n Plants (MIDREX Data) 28 through 2008 startup
n U it capacity
Unit it 0 2 tto 2.0
0.2 2 0 Mt/y
Mt/
 HYL Process Flow Sheet
Iron
H2O
Ore
CO2
Reducing gas sources
¾ Natural Gas
¾ Reformed Gas
¾ Coal Gasification
¾ COG
¾ others
th O l for
Only f cold
ld
DRI

fuel
O2

HYTEMP® Iron
EAF
Optional DR products:
DRI

HBI
 HYL ZR Process Flow Sheet
Top Gas
Iron
Scrubber
Ore Partial Oxidation and
Reforming Reactions
2H2 + O2 > 2H2O
Process Gas H2O 2CH4 + O2 > 2CO + 4H2
CH4 + H2O > CO + 3H2O
CO + H2O > CO2 + H2
Compressor Gas HYL
CO2 Heater Reactor
Removal
unit Reduction and
Carburization Reactions
Fe2O3 + 3H2 > 2Fe + 3H2O
Humidifier Fe2O3 + 3CO > 2Fe + 3CO2
3Fe + CH4 > Fe3C + 2H2
Oxygen
NG
NG Fuel

DRI
HYL Plant - Venezuela
 HYL HYTEMP System
Iron Ore

H2O
Reducing gases - CO2 Reactor
Possible sources
¾ Natural Gas HYTEMP® System
¾Reformed Gas
¾Syngas (coal)
¾COG O2
¾ others
fuel Transport
Hot
Gas Make
DRI
up

External EAF
Cooler

Cold
DRI
 HYL HYTEMP In Plant
EAF EAF
No.1 No. 2
83 m
4M DR Plant

22 m
72 m
53 m

10 m
 MIDREX Process

n Feed Pellets or lump ore

n Reductant Reformed nat g gas
n Reactor Type Shaft furnace
n Pressure 1 - 1.5 bar
n Temperature 800-850 C
n Product DRI or HBI
n Use Merchant or captive
n Unit capacity 0.3 to 2.0 M t/y
MIDREX Process Flow Sheet
MIDREX Plant – Venezuela
MIDREX Process with HOTLINK
 SL/RN Process

n Feed Pellets or lump ore

n Reductant Coal - size variable
C
n Reactor Type Rotary kiln
n Pressure 0 bar
n Temperature 1000 C
n Product DRI
n Use Captive
n Unit capacity 0.1 Mt/y
SL/RN Process Flow Sheet
SL/RN Plant