To further enhance DRI for steelmaking, it can be converted to pig iron or hot metal via melting. There are existing processes in the industry that use electric energy in furnaces such as submerged arc furnaces to convert DRI into hot metal. Air Products’ novel DRI melting process uses oxy-fuel combustion in place of electric power to accomplish this melting. Figure 4 provides a process diagram (patent pending) .

Advantages of charging DRI hot coming out of the shaft reactor have been well documented, namely productivity increase and decrease in power use. Few DRI plants in the world have the ideal setup with an EAF downstream of the DRI plant, where the DRI coming out of the shaft furnace can be charged hot into the EAF.

Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) is the second most viable source of virgin iron used in steelmaking after pig iron or hot metal produced in blast furnaces. DRI is produced by direct reduction of iron ore using carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Natural gas-based shaft reactors are commonly used in North and South America for DRI production while coal-based DRI is common in Asian markets. Inexpensive supply of natural gas in the United States makes DRI an attractive source of iron for steelmakers.