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?

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
n

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 p
pellet and lump
p forms and is g
generally
y 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.
Oxides
Common oxides of iron found in the natural state are Fe2O3 and
Fe3O4.
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
n
n
n
n
n
n

Fe2O3 - Hematite
Fe3O4 - Magnetite
FeO - Wustite (really Fe0.95O)
Fe - Metallic iron or iron
Fe2O3
O3-H
H2O - Geothite
FeCO3 - Siderite
FeS2 - Pyrite

Types Of Processes

Gas-Based Processes
Iron Ore
Natural
Gas
Process Gas
Preparation

Fines &
Pellets/Lumps
p

Feedstock
Preparation
p

Process
Gas

Reduction Unit
Coal
Hot
Briquetting

Cold/Hot
Discharge

HBI

DRI

Direct Reduction Reactions

n

With H2
3 Fe2O3 + H2 = 2 Fe3O4 + H2O
Fe3O4 + H2 = 3 FeO + H2O
FeO + H2 = Fe + H2O
With CO
3 Fe2O3 + CO = 2 Fe3O4 + CO2
Fe3O4 + CO = 3 FeO + CO2
F O + CO = Fe
FeO
F + CO2
With Solid Carbon in Reaction
CO2 + C = 2CO

Categories of Oxide Feed

n

Granular
Feed in the form of p
pellets p
produced in a p
pelletizing
gp
plant from ore
fines, or as naturally occurring lump iron ore. Usually > 6-8 mm in
size.
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
Fines

Gas
CIRCORED (FB)
FINMET (FB)

Solid
FASTMET (RG)

Granular

HYL (SF)
MIDREX (SF)

DRC (Kiln)
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.
Solid
Carbon containing solid reductant such as coal, petro-coke or
cchar.
a Usua
Usually
y has
as to be s
smaller
a e tthan
a lump
u p s
size
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.
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 oxide
id flows
fl
along
l
th kiln
the
kil aided
id d by
b the
th
use of lifters, and is contacted by reducing gas from a solid
reductant.
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

CIRCORED
n DRC
n FINMET
n HYL
n MIDREX
n SL/RN
n

CIRCORED Process
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n

Feed
Reductant
Reactor Type
Pressure
Temperature
Product
Use
Unit capacity

Fines 2 to 0.1 mm
Reformed nat g
gas
Fluid beds (2)
4 bar
630 C
HBI
Merchant
0.500 Mt/y

CIRCORED Process Flow Sheet

CIRCORED Plant - Trinidad

DRC Process
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n

Feed
Reductant
Reactor Type
Pressure
Temperature
Product
Use
Unit capacity

Pellets or lump ore

Coal
C
Rotary Kiln
0 bar
1000 C
DRI
Captive
0.125 Mt/y

DRC Process Flow Sheet

DRC Plant South Africa

FINMET Process
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n

Feed
Reductant
Reactor Type
Pressure
Temperature
Product
Use
Unit capacity (4 trains)

Fines 10 to 0.01 mm
Reformed nat gas
Fluid beds (4)
12 bar
450-800 C
HBI
Merchant
2.2 Mt/y

FINMET Process Flow Sheet

FINMET Plant - Venezuela

FINEX Process
Fine Ore

Non-coking Coal

Hot DRI
Compaction

R4
R3

Reactors

Coal
Briquetting
CBQ

R2
R1

HCI

CO2
Removal

Power Plant

Fluidized Bed
Reduction
Melter
G ifi
Gasifier
Oxygen Plant

Process
Optimization

FINEX Plant S. Korea

HYL Process
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n

Feed
Reductant
Reactor Type
Pressure
Temperature
Product
Use
Plants (MIDREX Data)
U it capacity
Unit
it

Pellets or lump ore

Reformed natural g
gas
Shaft furnace
5-6 bar
800-850 C Normal
DRI or HBI
Merchant or captive
28 through 2008 startup
0 2 tto 2.0
0.2
2 0 Mt/y
Mt/

HYL Process Flow Sheet

Reducing gas sources

Natural Gas
Reformed Gas
Coal Gasification
COG
others
th

Iron
Ore

H2O

CO2

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
Scrubber
Process Gas
Compressor

Iron
Ore

Partial Oxidation and

Reforming Reactions
2H2 + O2 > 2H2O
2CH4 + O2 > 2CO + 4H2
CH4 + H2O > CO + 3H2O
CO + H2O > CO2 + H2

H2O
Gas
Heater

CO2
Removal
unit

HYL
Reactor
Reduction and
Carburization Reactions
Fe2O3 + 3H2 > 2Fe + 3H2O
Fe2O3 + 3CO > 2Fe + 3CO2
3Fe + CH4 > Fe3C + 2H2

Humidifier
Oxygen
NG

NG

Fuel

DRI

HYL Plant - Venezuela

HYL HYTEMP System

Iron Ore

Reducing gases Possible sources

Natural Gas
Reformed Gas
Syngas (coal)
COG
others

H2O
CO2

Reactor

HYTEMP System

O2
fuel

Hot
DRI

Transport
Gas Make
up
EAF

External
Cooler

Cold
DRI

HYL HYTEMP In Plant

4M DR Plant

53 m

72 m

10 m

22 m

EAF
No.1

EAF
No. 2
83 m

MIDREX Process
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n

Feed
Reductant
Reactor Type
Pressure
Temperature
Product
Use
Unit capacity

Pellets or lump ore

Reformed nat g
gas
Shaft furnace
1 - 1.5 bar
800-850 C
DRI or HBI
Merchant or captive
0.3 to 2.0 M t/y

MIDREX Process Flow Sheet

MIDREX Plant Venezuela

MIDREX Process with HOTLINK

SL/RN Process
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n

Feed
Reductant
Reactor Type
Pressure
Temperature
Product
Use
Unit capacity

Pellets or lump ore

Coal - size variable
C
Rotary kiln
0 bar
1000 C
DRI
Captive
0.1 Mt/y

SL/RN Process Flow Sheet

SL/RN Plant