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US 4,082,543 AGranted
Method for reducing particulate iron oxide to metallic iron with solid reductant
AssigneeMidrex Corporation
InventorsDonald Beggs, Bruce G. Kelley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for reducing particulate iron oxide to metallic iron utilizing solid carbonaceous fuel as reductant in a shaft type reducing furnace, in which a furnace burden is formed of a mixtue of iron oxide lumps or pellets and particulate solid fuel. Reacted top gas is upgraded and recirculated through the burden in counter-flow relationship thereby heating and partially reducing the burden. The heat for final reduction is generated by passing electric current through the burden.
Claims14
A method of reducing particulate iron oxide material to metallic iron with a solid reductant comprising:
- continuously feeding particulate iron oxide and solid particulate carbonaceous fuel to a particle inlet at the top of a shaft furnace to establish a packed burden therein;
- removing particulate product from a particle outlet at the bottom of said burden through said furnace;
- passing an electric current through the burden to provide sufficient heat by direct resistance heating to react said carbonaceous fuel with oxygen from said particulate iron oxide to reduce said iron oxide substantially to metallic iron;
- causing the reaction products to move through said burden in counterflow relation with it, and form a top gas;
- removing top gas from the upper region of the shaft furnace;
- cooling said top gas;
- and
- recirculating the cooled gas to the burden through a gas inlet at the lower region of said furnace.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.