Production method of granular metallic iron

A method for producing granular metallic iron, the method comprising:

• agglomerating a mixture comprising an iron oxide-containing material and a carbonaceous reducing agent to obtain an agglomerate;
• charging the agglomerate onto a hearth of a heating furnace and heating it, thereby reducing iron oxide in the agglomerate to obtain reduced iron;
• and
• melting the reduced iron by further heating to cause the reduced iron to coalesce, thereby producing the granular metallic iron,
• wherein, when the agglomerate is heated on the hearth of the heating furnace, an average gas flow rate of an atmospheric gas in the heating furnace is 0.340 in/sec or more, and a relationship between a mass ratio (%) by mass) of a volatile matter contained in the carbonaceous reducing agent and the average gas flow rate (m/sec) satisfies formula (1):
• Mass ratio of volatile matter≤−4.62×average gas flow rate+46.7 (1).