Smelting method

Claim 1

IN THE SMELTING OF IRON AND OTHER METAL OXIDE ORES WITH THE SIMULTANEOUS GENERATION OF REDUCING GASES CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN IN A BLAST FURNACE EQUIPPED WITH MULTIJET TUYERES HAVING A CENTRAL NOZZLE BETWEEN ADJACENT SIDE NOZZLES, THE PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES CHARGING SUCH A BLAST FURNACE WITH A MIXTURE OF METAL OXIDE ORE, COKE AND SLAG-FORMING COMPONENTS, SMELTING THE CHARGE AND PASSING IT DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE FURNACE WHILE SUPPLYING SMELTING HEAT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY GENERATING SAID REDUCING GASES BY INTRODUCING AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF THROUGH THE CENTRAL NOZZLES OF SAID MULTIJET TUYERES GASES CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS HAVING A RATIO OF CARBON TO HYDROGEN RANGING FROM ABOUT 1:4 TO 1:1 AND PREHEATED TO TEMPERATURES WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 700* TO 1400* F., MIXING THE HYDROCARBON GASES JUST BEFORE THEY ENTER THE FURNACE WITH PREHEATED AIR BLOWN THROUGH SAID CENTRAL NOZZLES, AND IMPINGING THE MIXTURE ON THE SURFACE OF THE GLOWING CHARGE TO PRODUCE SURFACE COMBUSTION OF THE GASEOUS MIXTURE AND BLOWING ADDITTIONAL AIR THROUGH SAID SIDE NOZZLES, THE TOTAL AIR INTRODUCED INTO THE FURNACE BEING SUFFICIENT TO CONSUME THE COKE BUT INSUFFICIENT COMPLETELY TO BURN THE HYDROCARBON GASES, THE AMOUNT OF COKE IN THE CHARGE BEING SUFFICIENT TO SUPPLY FROM ABOUT 40 TO 80% OF THE SMELTING FUEL WHILE THE REMAINDER OF THE SMELTING FUEL COMPRISES THE HYDROCARBON GASES WHICH ARE MIXED WITH THE AIR AND INTRODUCED INTO THE FURNACE.