Non-thermal plasma direct reduction of ore ultrafines

Abstract

A method and system for carrying out non-thermal plasma direct reduction of ore ultrafines into resource material are described. In particular, the present invention is directed to a method for direct reduction of ultrafines using an integrated system including an ultrafines source and a non-thermal plasma source. The method includes delivering ultrafines to a reduction reaction zone; and applying, within the reduction reaction zone, a non-thermal plasma to the ultrafines.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for direct reduction of ultrafines using an integrated system including an ultrafines source and a non-thermal plasma source, the method comprising:
 delivering ultrafines to a reduction reaction zone; and   applying, within the reduction reaction zone, a non-thermal plasma to the ultrafines.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing a cyclonic or fluidized separation operation on an feedstock to obtain the ultrafines.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cyclonic or fluidized separation operation is carried out by a series of separator chambers providing successively smaller particles to a next chamber of the series. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a portion of the ultrafines subjected to the non-thermal plasma are converted to a resource material. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ultrafines feedstock is an ore comprising resource material particles and gangue particles wherein the resource material particles are beneficiated after passage through the reduction reaction zone for separation from gangue particles. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the resource material is directed into a subsequent additive manufacturing process. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the resource material is derived from a mined ore. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the mined ore is one or more mined ore taken from the group consisting of: iron, rare earths and critical minerals. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the resource material is derived from a processed metal. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the processed metal is one or more processed metal taken from the group consisting of: aluminum, niobium, and hafnium. 
     
     
         11 . An integrated system for performing direct reduction of ultrafines, the system comprising:
 an ultrafines source; and   a non-thermal plasma source,   wherein the integrated system is configured to carry out performing direct reduction of ultrafines by:
 delivering ultrafines to a reduction reaction zone; and 
 applying, within the reduction reaction zone, a non-thermal plasma to the ultrafines. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the direct reduction of ultrafines is carried out by:
 performing a cyclonic or fluidized separation operation on an feedstock to obtain the ultrafines.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the cyclonic or fluidized separation operation is carried out by a series of separator chambers providing successively smaller particles to a next chamber of the series. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein a portion of the ultrafines subjected to the non-thermal plasma are converted to a resource material. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein a resource material is beneficiated from gangue material by combination of non-thermal plasma and cyclonic or fluidized separation based on mass and density change to the ultrafines particles during performing the direct reduction. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the resource material is directed into a subsequent additive manufacturing process. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the resource material is derived from a mined ore. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the mined ore is one or more mined ore taken from the group consisting of: iron, rare earths and critical minerals. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the resource material is derived from a processed metal. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the processed metal is one or more processed metal taken from the group consisting of: aluminum, niobium, and hafnium.