COREX PROCESS ®

AN EFFICIENT AND ENVIRONMENTALLY

FRIENDLY SMELTING REDUCTION

PRESENTED BY:

BAJAN, ROSEMARIE A.
BAYANG, ANDRO P.
BULARON, VIA G.
LY, SOPHIA EMM S.
LUNIO, DESIREE JANE V.
18/11/2019 1
18/11/2019 2
Blast Furnace
• Metallurgical coal
• Conversion of metallurgical coal
to blast furnace coke

Costly
18/11/2019 3
 COREX
• First and the ONLY commercially
established Smelting-Reduction
Process
VOEST  late 1970
• High smelting intensity
• Ability to use various types
of non-coking coals
18/11/2019 4
 COREX
• First and the ONLY commercially
established Smelting-Reduction
Process
VOEST  late 1970
• Use of ore fines
• Low net operating cost
• Generation of power
18/11/2019 5
 COREX
• First and the ONLY
commercially established
Smelting-Reduction Process

• First pilot plant was installed in

Kehl, Germany in 1981.

18/11/2019 6
18/11/2019 7
 Features of COREX
• hot metal quality suitable for
steelmaking

• low investment and operational

costs due to the elimination of
coke ovens and by product plant

• low process related emission rates

18/11/2019 8
 Features of COREX
• use of a wide variety of iron ores
and especially non-coking coals

• generation of a highly valuable

export gas which can be used for
various purposes such as electric
power generation, DRI production,
or natural gas substitution

18/11/2019 9
 COREX
Technology

Industrially and
commercially proven
direct smelting
reduction process

18/11/2019 10
 COREX

18/11/2019 11
 COREX

18/11/2019 12
 Jindal South West Steel Ltd.

18/11/2019 13
 Essar Steel
Hazira, India

18/11/2019 14
 𝑰𝑵𝑷𝑼𝑻 = 𝑶𝑼𝑻𝑷𝑼𝑻

18/11/2019 15
 INPUTS
• Iron ore
- lump ore, pellets or a
mixture thereof
• Additives
- limestone and dolomite
• Non-coking Coal
• Pure Oxygen

18/11/2019 16
 OUTPUTS

• Hot metal
• Slag
• Export gas

18/11/2019 17
18/11/2019 18
 Production of ELECTRICAL ENERGY

18/11/2019 19
Typical Analysis:
Hot Metal Slag
Carbon 4.5 % CaO 35 %
Silicon 0.5% MgO 13%
Manganese 0.08% SiO2 31%
Sulfur 0.03% Al2O3 15%
Phosporus 0.1% FeO 0.4%
TiO2 0.5%
S 1.2%
@ 1470 deg C to 1500 deg C. @1520 deg C to 1580 deg C
18/11/2019 20
 Top Gas Reduction Gas Export Gas
CO – 42 % CO – 62 %, CO – 44
H2 -19 % H2 – 23 %, H2 – 21 %,
CO2 – 31 % CO2 – 9 %, CO2 – 30 %,
CH4 – 1.9 methane – 2 %. moisture – 1 %,
N2 – 2 %,
CH4 – 1.5 %
dust content – less
than 5 mg/N cum.

18/11/2019 21
 EQUIPMENT AND
PROCESS

18/11/2019 22
 Lump Ore/Pellets/
Coal Scrubber
Additives
Top Gas Export Gas

Reduction
Shaft Reduction Scrubber
Gas

Hot-Gas
Cyclone

Gas Cyclone

Melter
Gasifier Dust

Hot Metal Oxygen

and Slag
 Reduction Shaft

Melter Gassifier

Oxygen

18/11/2019 24
 Iron Ore:
• Lump Ore
• Pellets
Lock Hopper
System Additives
• Limestones
• Dolomite
 𝑇𝑒 = 250 − 300°C

P = 3-bar REDUCTION GAS

T = 800 - 850°C
𝑚3 • Counter-current flow to
Gas flow = 1200 𝑡 avoid clustering

D= 5-m • Fe ore  DRI

 90% METALLIZATION
 Direct Reduced Iron
Factors Affecting Degree of Metallization

• Amount & quality of the reduction gas flow.

• Temperature of the reduction gas.
• Reducibility of iron bearing burden.
• Average particle size and distribution of the
solids charged.
 HOT DRI
600 - 800°C

Coal

MELTER GASIFIER
P = 3 - 5 bars

18/11/2019 28
 DOME

CHAR BED

HEARTH ZONE

18/11/2019 29
 Scrubber
Top Gas Export Gas

Reduction
Shaft Reduction Scrubber
Gas

800 - 850°C

Hot-Gas
Cyclone

Gas Cyclone

Melter
Gasifier Dust

Oxygen
 COREX PROCESS
CHEMISTRY

18/11/2019 31
18/11/2019 32
COREX PROCESS CHEMISTRY

Process Stages

1. Iron Ore Burden Hot Direct Reduced Iron (DRI)

2. Melting and Carburizing of Hot DRI

3. Maintenance of fluidized bed of coal char

18/11/2019 33
COREX PROCESS CHEMISTRY

Reactions
850 – 1050 ᵒC: Fe2O3 → Fe3O4 → FeO → Fe by CO and H2

CaCO3(limestone) + heat → CaO + CO2

CaCO3 ۰MgCO3 (dolomite) + heat → CaO۰MgO + 2CO2

2CO → CO2 + C + heat

Reduction Shaft

3Fe + 2CO → Fe3C + CO2 + heat

18/11/2019 34
COREX PROCESS CHEMISTRY

Reactions

CaCO3(limestone) + heat → CaO + CO2

CaO + H2S → MgS + H2O

CaCO3 ۰MgCO3 (dolomite) + heat → CaO۰MgO + 2CO2

Reduction Shaft
MgO + H2S → MgS + H2O

18/11/2019 35
COREX PROCESS CHEMISTRY

Reactions
• 100 ᵒC- Drying Coal
• 200 – 950 ᵒC – Devolatilization of coal, liberation
of methane and higher hydrocarbons
• Decomposition of volatile matter, 1050-1000 ᵒC
Melter-Gasifier
CnHm = nC + (m/2) H2

18/11/2019 36
COREX PROCESS CHEMISTRY

Reactions
• Other reactions (free board zone)
CO2 + C = 2CO (Boudouard Reaction)
H2O + C = CO + H2 (Water Gas Reaction)
CO + H2O = CO2 + H2 (Shift Reaction)
Melter-Gasifier

18/11/2019 37
COREX PROCESS CHEMISTRY

Reactions
• Calcination of the uncalcined limestone and dolomite
• Reduction of the residual iron oxide in the sponge iron
• Direct reduction of FeO in the DRI takes place by
carbon in the char bed
Melter-Gasifier

18/11/2019 38
COREX PROCESS CHEMISTRY

Reactions
• Combustion of coal char by oxygen
2C + O2 = 2CO
2CO + O2 = 2CO2
C + CO2 = 2CO
Melter-Gasifier
• Melting and formation of hot metal and slag, resp.

18/11/2019 39
 ADVANTAGES

Economic Benefit

Ecologic Benefit

Beneficial By-Products
18/11/2019 40
 ADVANTAGES

Resource Preserving

Product Quality

Operational Flexibility
18/11/2019 41
 DISADVANTAGES

Optimized distribution of coal and DRI

High Consumption of Coal

Maintenance
18/11/2019 42
 DISADVANTAGES

Jamming of Dust Recycling Systems

and Gas Cleaning Systems

Sensitiveness of the Process Inputs

Quality Parameters

18/11/2019 43