Direct reduced iron

A process for forming high density metal briquettes of reduced size comprising the steps of:

• intermixing finely divided metal ore concentrate, wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of iron, copper, manganese, and chromium, with finely divided carbonaceous reductant thermosetting binder having a low volatile content consisting essentially of 1 to 20% of a material taken from the following group:
• coal tar pitch or gilsonite,
• compressing the intermixture of the next previous step to form compact briquettes ranging approximately in size from 2 or more inches in diameter by 2 or more inches in height,
• heating the compact briquettes in a first heating step to a sufficiently high temperature ranging from approximately 350.degree. to approximately 550.degree.F. to caramelize the reductant binder to form handleable, tough, hard briquettes but insufficiently high temperature to initiate chemical reaction between the reductant binder and the metal ore concentrate and to destroy the adhesive properties of the reductant binder, and
• further heating and shrinking the hard, handleable briquettes formed in the first heating step by subjecting same to a temperature ranging from approximately 1,900.degree.F. to approximately 2200.degree.F. in a substantially non-oxidizing atmosphere to permit approximately more than 90% reduction of the ore by the binder in the formation of a shrunken, highly dense, metal mass.