Process Characteristics of a Commercial-scale Oxygen Blast Furnace Process with Shaft Gas Injection.

A newoxygen blast furnace process, which is characterized by the injection of preheating gas into the shaft, was developed. For the development of the process, operation tests using an experimental blast furnace were carried out, and proved this process to be applicable as an ironmaking process. Mathematical model simulations were also carried out and the process characteristics were clarified on a commercial scale, in comparison with those of a conventional hot blast furnace process, Throughthe analysis of the experimental blast furnace operation and the mathematical model simulations, this process was found to have the following characteristicsi