Process for direct-reduction of iron-ore employing nuclear reactor-powdered catalytic reformer

A process for the direct-reduction of iron ore, said process comprising:

• a. passing iron-ore pellets or lump iron ore into the top of the shaft reducer;
• b. producing a reducing gas for introduction into the lower half of said shaft reducer in counter current flow to the pellets, said reducing gas being produced from a fluid, selected from the group consisting of gaseous and light hydrocarbon liquids, which is passed to a catalytic reformer operated at a pressure of from about 200 to about 700 psig, said catalytic reformer being heated by indirect exchange through a reactant coolant loop connected to a high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor operated at a pressure of about 200 to 700 psig and a corecoolant temperature of less than about 1650.degree. F and having a reactant selected from the group consisting of H.sub.2 O, CO.sub.2, and mixtures thereof, passed into said reformer in an amount sufficient to (i) react with the fluid to produce a product gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide in a sum of from about 50 to about 97 percent, and from about 5.5 to about 34 percent by volume (dry basis) of unreacted hydrocarbon and (ii) inhibit carbon deposition on the catalyst, collecting said gas produced from said reformer, removing a sufficient amount of unreacted hydrocarbon, carbon dioxide and H.sub.2 O to render the gas acceptable for direct-reduction, said unreacted hydrocarbon being removed to a level of less than about 5 percent by volume (dry basis), said removal resulting in cooling said gas;
• c. then passing at least a portion of said gas through a reheated to heat said gas to a temperature between about 1400.degree. to about 1800.degree. F;
• d. passing said reheated gas into the lower portion of said shaft reducer to reduce the oxygen content of said iron-ore pellets or said lump iron ore to produce iron pellets or sponge iron;
• e. passing a cooling gas into said shaft near the bottom thereof to cool said reduced iron pellets or sponge iron prior to discharge from said shaft reducer;
• and
• f. discharging said iron pellets or sponge iron from said shaft reducer.