Kyle J Shoop

US Patent:

6413295, Jul 2, 2002

Filed:

Mar 12, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/266989

Inventors:

David C. Meissner - Charlotte NC
Glenn E. Hoffman - Lancaster SC
Kyle J. Shoop - Charlotte NC
Takuya Negami - Tokyo, JP
Akira Uragami - Hyogo, JP
Yasuhiro Tanigaki - Kanagawa, JP
Shuzo Ito - Hyogo, JP
Isao Kobayashi - Hyogo, JP
Osamu Tsuge - Hyogo, JP
Koji Tokuda - Hyogo, JP
Shoichi Kikuchi - Hyogo, JP

Assignee:

Midrex International B.V. Rotterdam, Zurich Branch

International Classification:

C21B 1310

US Classification:

75484, 75500, 266177, 266190

Abstract:

The present invention is an apparatus and method for the direct reduction of iron oxide utilizing a rotary hearth furnace to form a high purity carbon-containing iron metal button. The hearth layer may be a refractory or a vitreous hearth layer of iron oxide, carbon, and silica compounds. Additionally, coating materials may be introduced onto the refractory or vitreous hearth layer before iron oxide ore and carbon materials are added, with the coating materials preventing attack of the molten iron on the hearth layer. The coating materials may include compounds of carbon, iron oxide, silicon oxide, magnesium oxide, and/or aluminum oxide. The coating materials may be placed as a solid or a slurry on the hearth layer and heated, which provides a protective layer onto which the iron oxide ores and carbon materials are placed. The iron oxide is reduced and forms molten globules of high purity iron and residual carbon, which remain separate from the hearth layer. An improved apparatus includes a cooling plate that is placed in close proximity with the refractory or vitreous hearth layer, cooling the molten globules to form iron metal buttons that are removed from the hearth layer.

US Patent:

62140876, Apr 10, 2001

Filed:

Mar 19, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/272276

Inventors:

Glenn E. Hoffman - Lancaster SC
David C. Meissner - Charlotte NC
Kyle J. Shoop - Charlotte NC

Assignee:

Midrex International B.V. Rotterdam, Zurich Branch - Zurich

International Classification:

C21B 1308

US Classification:

75500

Abstract:

A method for producing solid metal product is disclosed including the steps of providing carbon and metal bearing compounds in compacts, coating the compacts with treatment materials, encapsulating the compacts with carbonaceous containing materials to form a residual layer, and treating the residual layer before introduction of the compacts into a furnace. The compacts contain carbon containing metal bearing compounds, and are coated with mixtures of carbonaceous materials dispersed within a binder material such as a viscous liquid, molasses, alcohol, or fuel oil. The coated compacts are treated to form a hardened outer residual layer. The outer residual layer provides for a sacrificial outer coating on the compacts that reacts with any oxidizing gaseous components within the furnace, while the carbon containing metal bearing compounds within the compacts are heated and metallized inside the compounds. The outer residual layer provides for improved production of higher purity of metal and carbon nuggets with decreased furnace processing times. Therefore, an increase in purity of the metal product is produced at a lower cost, with minimization of the interaction of the molten metal and slag from nuggets with the furnace hearth surface.

US Patent:

20210214812, Jul 15, 2021

Filed:

Mar 26, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/214401

Inventors:

- Milano, IT
Cesare Giavani - Milano, IT
Silvio Maria Reali - Milano, IT
Kyle James Shoop - Pittsburgh PA, US

International Classification:

C21B 13/14
C21B 13/00
C21B 13/12
C21C 1/08
C21C 5/52
B22F 9/08
C21B 11/10
C22C 33/02
C22C 33/08
C22C 37/00

Abstract:

A method for the production of cast iron starting from pre-reduced iron ore (DRI) with an electric arc furnace includes the steps of preparing a charge of pre-reduced iron ore DRI having a metallization higher than 90% and containing over 2.8% by weight of carbon, wherein at least 80% of the carbon is combined with the iron to form iron carbide FeC; charging the charge of pre-reduced iron ore into the electric arc furnace; and melting the DRI charge to form liquid cast iron having at least 80% by weight of actual carbon content deriving from the carbon in the charge of pre-reduced iron ore, the melting step being in a reducing atmosphere and in a melting chamber of the electric arc furnace subjected to a positive internal pressure generated by the gases produced by reduction reactions that develop during melting.

US Patent:

20200122237, Apr 23, 2020

Filed:

Aug 20, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/546189

Inventors:

- New York NY, US
- Castellanza, IT
Gus Hiller - Sewanee TN, US
Kyle Shoop - Pittsburgh PA, US

International Classification:

B22F 9/08

Abstract:

Raw material feed into an electric arc furnace (“EAF”) is melted into heated liquid metal at a controlled temperature with impurities and inclusions removed as a separate liquid slag layer. The heated liquid metal is removed from the EAF into a passively heatable ladle wherein it is moved into a refining station where they are placed into a inductively heated refining holding vessel and wherein vacuum oxygen decarburization is applied to remove carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and other undesirable impurities from the liquid metal. The ladle and liquid metal is then transferred to a refining station/gas atomizer having a controlled vacuum and inert atmosphere wherein the liquid metal is poured from an inductively heated atomizing holder vessel into a heated tundish at a controlled rate wherein high pressure inert gas is applied through a nozzle to create a spray of metal droplets forming spherical shapes as the droplets that cool and fall into a bottom formed in the chamber. Spherical powder comprising the droplets are removed from the chamber through screen and blenders and then classified by size.

US Patent:

20180274047, Sep 27, 2018

Filed:

May 29, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/763441

Inventors:

- Milano, IT
Cesare Giavani - Milano, IT
Sivio Maria Reali - Milano, IT
Kyle James Shoop - Pittsburgh PA, US

International Classification:

C21B 13/14
C22C 33/08
B22F 9/08
C21B 13/12
C21C 1/08
C21C 5/52
C21B 13/00
C22C 37/00

Abstract:

A method for the production of cast iron starting from pre-reduced iron ore (DRI) with an electric arc furnace includes the steps of preparing a charge of pre-reduced iron ore DRI having a metallization higher than 90% and containing over 2.8% by weight of carbon, wherein at least 80% of the carbon is combined with the iron to form iron carbide FeC; charging the charge of pre-reduced iron ore into the electric arc furnace; and melting the DRI charge to form liquid cast iron having at least 80% by weight of actual carbon content deriving from the carbon in the charge of pre-reduced iron ore, the melting step being in a reducing atmosphere and in a melting chamber of the electric arc furnace subjected to a positive internal pressure generated by the gases produced by reduction reactions that develop during melting.