Apparatus and process for the gaseous deoxidation of anode copper

Claim 1

In combination with a cylindrical tilting anode furnace, injection means adapted to inject a reformable hydrocarbon and steam below the surface of a molten metal therewithin, said injection means having cooling means associated therewith, said cooling means comprising a lance having (a) a feed chamber adapted to allow the flow of a gaseous treating medium therethrough, (b) a gas inlet in one wall of the feed chamber, (c) a coolant-liquid-transmitting conduit extending axially through said chamber and terminating in a liquid outlet in a second wall of the feed chamber, (d) at least one gas outlet in said second wall angled and positioned such that the flow of gaseous treating medium therethrough causes coolant liquid flowing through the liquid outlet of the transmitting conduit to disperse into liquid droplets, and (e) an elongated body defining a flow passage extending axially through said body, said passage being adapted to receive the mixture of liquid droplets and gaseous treating medium and having one end terminating at the second wall of the said chamber and a second end terminating in a discharge outlet, said elongated body being adapted to be at least partially submerged in molten material and to be cooled internally by the impingement of liquid droplets on the walls of the flow passage.