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Direct Reduction of Iron by HyL

Process I, II, and III
By: Andoy, Delos Reyes, Estocado, Saplot, Suerte

College of Engineering and Technology

Department of Materials and Resources Engineering and Technology
 Outline of
Presentation
01 Process Introduction

02 Inputs & Outputs

Furnaces and
03 Equipment

04 Process Chemistry
Advantages and
05 Disadvantages
 What is a Direct
Reduction Process?
 Direct Reduction Process
• Reduction of iron ore at temperatures below
the iron melting point.
• Product: Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) or Sponge
Iron.
• Can be separated into two major categories:
• Gas-based Processes
• Coal-based Processes
 Direct Reduction Process
• Can be classified into three major categories:
i. using gaseous reductants in a granular bed,
such as Midrex and HyL processes;
ii. using gaseous reductants in a fluidized bed,
such as the iron carbide process; and
iii. using solid reductants in a granular bed,
such as the Fastmet process.
 Direct Reduction Process
• Advantages include:
a) Lower process or reduction
temperature.
b) Does not require coke as a heat
source and reductant.
c) Low carbon content.
d) Operates at a smaller scale.
HyL I, II, & III
Processes
 What is HyL?
• Hojalata y Lamina S.A. (later known as Hylsa)
• Conversion of iron ore into metallic iron, by
the use of reducing gases in a solid-gas bed
reactor.
• Oxygen is removed from the iron ore by
chemical reactions based on hydrogen and
carbon monoxide .
 What is HyL?

• Produces highly metallized direct reduced

iron (DRI)/hot briquetted iron (HBI).
• Presently marketed under ‘Energiron’
trademark.
 History of HyL
• the realization of research efforts begun by
Hojalata y Lamina S.A. at the beginning of the
1950s
• Location: Monterrey, Mexico
• Founder: Roberto Garza Sada
• Founded: June 11, 1942
First industrial plant
using HyL III
Development of a
continuous (moving bed)
process
First Industrial Scale
DR Plant
First gas-based plant
suspended
First batch of
operation.
Product: 20kg DRI
 HyL Processes

HyL II HyL III

• Development • Single shaft furnace
process of HyL. with a moving bed.
• Never • Operation principles
commercialized. similar to the Midrex
Shaft Furnace
Inputs and Outputs
Input
Output
 Output
HYTEMP Iron

Hot discharged DRI, which is pneumatically transported in a

direct form to the electric arc furnace
Furnaces and
Equipment
Furnace and Equipment
Reduction Shaft Furnace
Furnace and Equipment
Furnace and Equipment
Furnace and Equipment
Reformer
Process Chemistry
 HyL I Process
• Plant consists: gas reformer and four reactors
• Each reactor: four steps of about 3 hours each.

Stage 1: cooling stage

-cooling of the final product by cool fresh
reducing gas
- temperature at around 500⁰C
 HyL I Process
Stage 2: primary stage
- a fresh reducing gas is passed through the
reactor

Reduction Temperature: maintained at 980⁰C

 HyL I Process
Stage 3: secondary stage
- a partly used reducing gas is passed
through the reactor
 HyL I Process

Stage 4: Charging and Discharging stage

- charging of the final product and then
charging of the fresh ore
HyL I Process

Table 1. Operation of the HyL I Processs

 HyL I Process
Reducing gas
- produced by catalytic steam reforming of
natural gas

𝐶𝐻4 𝑔 + 𝐻2 𝑂 𝑔 → 𝐶𝑂 𝑔 + 3𝐻2 𝑔
𝑜
𝑘𝐽
∆𝐻298 = 9196
𝑁𝑚3 𝐶𝐻4
• Composition: 74% H20, 13% CO, 8% CO2, and
5%CH4
 HyL II Process
• only an improvement of HyL I where:

1. use high temperature alloy tube in the reducing

gas reheating furnace, which permits heating the
gas to the higher temperature.

2. reduced the number if heating furnace for the

original four units to two units.
CO + H2O = CO2 + H2
 HyL III Process
• Reforming reactions:

• Reduction Reactions:
Advantages
 Advantages
• Product flexibility: High-C, Cold and Hot DRI, HBI
• Flexibility to process a wide range of iron ores
• Higher Product Quality
• High-Carbon content DRI
• Direct use of hot DRI in the EAF
 Advantages
• Minimum reducing gas requirements
• Higher metallic yields
• Lower Production cost
• Use of alternative reducing gas
• Low environmental impact
 BF vs. HyL

Blast Furnace HyL Process

• relies heavily on • uses pulverized coal or

metallurgical coke. other gases as reducing
agents to replace
• involves coke making and
metallurgical coke.
sintering operations.
Thank You