Process for producing granular metal
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
InventorShuzo Ito
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Abstract
A technique that further improves the process for producing granular metal involves heating agglomerates and reducing and melting a metal oxide in the agglomerates. The process includes feeding agglomerates containing a metal oxide and a carbonaceous reducing agent onto a hearth of a moving hearth reduction melting furnace, heating the agglomerates to reduce and to melt the metal oxide, cooling the granular metal obtained by the heating, and discharging the cooled granular metal out of the furnace to recover the same. The agglomerates have an average diameter of not smaller than 17.5 mm are fed onto the hearth when the agglomerates are heated at a spread density of not lower than 0.5 on the hearth.
Claims18
A process for producing granular metal, the process comprising:
- feeding an agglomerate comprising a metal oxide and a carbonaceous reducing agent onto a hearth of a moving hearth reduction melting furnace;
- heating the agglomerate, thereby reducing and melting the metal oxide and obtaining a granular metal;
- cooling the granular metal;
- and
- discharging the granular metal out of the furnace after cooling, thereby recovering the granular metal,
- wherein the agglomerate has an average diameter of not smaller than 17.5 mm, and
- the heating comprises heating the agglomerate at a spread density of not lower than 0.5 on the hearth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.