Direct Smelting Process

Abstract

A molten bath-based direct smilting process comprises controlling the process conditions in a direct smelting vessel so that molten slag in a molten bath of metal and slag in the vessel has a viscosity in a range of 0.5-5 poise when the slag temperature is in the range of 1400-1550° C. in the molten bath in the vessel.

1 . A molten iron product of a direct smelter, the molten iron product comprising molten iron and vanadium and wherein the vanadium comprises at least 50% of the vanadium output from the direct smelter. 
     
     
         2 . The molten iron product defined in  claim 1 , wherein the vanadium in the molten iron product comprises at least 65% of the vanadium output from the direct smelter. 
     
     
         3 . The molten iron product defined in  claim 1 , wherein the vanadium in the molten iron product comprises at least 80% of the total vanadium supplied to the smelter as part of a metalliferous feed material. 
     
     
         4 . A slag product of a direct smelter, the slag product comprising molten slag that includes:
 TiO 2 : at least 15 wt. %,   SiO 2 : at least 15 to 20 wt. %,   CaO: at least 15 to 30 wt. %,   Al 2 O 3 : at least 10 to 20 wt. %,   FeO: at least 3 to 10 wt. %, and   vanadium oxide comprising up to 50% of the vanadium output from the direct smelter.   
     
     
         5 . The slag product defined in  claim 4 , wherein the vanadium in the slag product comprises up to 35% of the vanadium output from the direct smelter. 
     
     
         6 . The slag product defined in  claim 4 , wherein the vanadium in the slag product comprises up to 20% of the vanadium output from the direct smelter as part of a metalliferous feed material. 
     
     
         7 . The slag product defined in  claim 4 , wherein the molten slag further comprises a carbon content of 3 to 5 wt. %. 
     
     
         8 . The slag product defined in  claim 4 , wherein the molten slag comprises at least 20 wt. % TiO 2 . 
     
     
         9 . The slag product defined in  claim 4 , wherein the molten slag comprises at least 50 wt. % TiO 2 . 
     
     
         10 . The slag product defined in  claim 4 , wherein the molten slag further comprises manganese oxide. 
     
     
         11 . A feed material for the sulphate process for producing pigment-grade titania, the feed material having a microstructure that is amenable to processing in the sulphate process and wherein the feed material comprises:
 TiO 2 : at least 15 wt. %,   SiO 2 : at least 15 to 20 wt. %,   CaO: at least 15 to 30 wt. %,   Al 2 O 3 : at least 10 to 20 wt. %,   FeO: at least 3 to 10 wt. %, and   vanadium oxide comprising up to 50% of the vanadium output from the direct smelter.   
     
     
         12 . The feed material defined in  claim 11 , wherein the vanadium in the slag product comprises up to 35% of the vanadium output from the direct smelter. 
     
     
         13 . The feed material defined in  claim 11 , wherein the vanadium in the slag product comprises up to 20% of the vanadium output from the direct smelter as part of a metalliferous feed material. 
     
     
         14 . The feed material defined in  claim 11 , wherein the molten slag further comprises a carbon content of 3 to 5 wt. %. 
     
     
         15 . The feed material defined in  claim 11 , wherein the molten slag comprises at least 20 wt. % TiO 2 . 
     
     
         16 . The feed material defined in  claim 11 , wherein the molten slag comprises at least 50 wt. % TiO 2 . 
     
     
         17 . The feed material defined in  claim 11 , wherein the molten slag further comprises manganese oxide.