Iron carbide production in shaft furnace

A process for producing an iron carbide (Fe.sub.3 C) product in a shaft furnace, comprising:

• (a) establishing a gravitational flow of particulate metal oxide material by charging a generally vertical shaft furnace having an upper reducing zone and a lower cooling zone with particulate metal oxide material;
• (b) introducing a reducing gas into the furnace intermediate the upper and lower zones at a temperature sufficient to promote a reducing reaction between the reducing gas and the metal oxide material;
• (c) causing the reducing gas to move upwardly and countercurrently through the downward flow of metal oxide material, thereby reacting with and reducing a portion of the metal oxide and forming a top gas at the upper portion of the furnace;
• (d) removing the top gas from the upper portion of the furnace;
• (e) maintaining the temperature of the metal oxide material in the reducing zone from about 1200.degree. to about 1400.degree. F. (about 649.degree. to about 760.degree. C.);
• (f) containing the metal oxide material within the shaft furnace reducing zone for a residence time of from about 9 to about 15 hours;
• (g) introducing a cooling gas near the cooling zone of the furnace;
• and
• (h) removing the resulting metallized product from the bottom of the furnace.