Method for reduction of iron ores

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS METHOD OF DIRECT REDUCTION OF METAL OXIDES BY REACTION WITH HYDROGEN COMPRISING THE STEPS OF, ESTABLISHING A VERTICALLY DISPOSED UNOBSTRUCTED REACTION ZONE HAVING A TEMPERATURE GRADIENT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM OF THE ZONE FROM ABOUT THE TEMPERATURE OF REACTION TO A MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE BELOW THE SINTERING TEMPERATURE OF THE METAL OXIDE BEING REDUCED, MAINTAINING THE ESTABLISHED TEMPERATURE GRADIENT WITHIN THE ZONE BY SELECTIVE FEEDING OF HYDROGEN AND COMBUSTION AIR AND OF A COOLING GAS AT VERTICALLY SPACED INTERVALS ALONG SAID ZONE UNIFORMLY FEEDING A UNIFORMLY CRUSHED METALLIC ORE OF 100 TO 500 MESH TO THE TOP OF THE ZONE FOR FREE GRAVITATONAL MOVEMENT THROUGH THE ZONE AND IN SUCH VOLUMES TO PERMIT THE ORE PARTICLES TO BE MAINTINED IN SPACED RELATION BY UPWARDLY FLOWING GASES WITHIN THE ZONE, CONTINUOUSLY CONTACTING THE FREE FALLING ORE PARTICLES WITHIN THE ZONE WITH AT LEAST A STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT OF FREE HYDROGEN GAS INTRODUCED INTO THE ZONE PROPORTIONAL TO THE RATE OF FEED OF ORE PARTICLES TO THE TOP OF THE ZONE FOR DIRECT REDUCTION OF THE METALLIC OXIDE CONTENT OF THE ORE TO A METALLIC STATE WHILE MOVING THROUGH SAID ZONE, REMOVING THE WASTE GASES FROM THE ZONE, CHILLING THE METALLIZED PARTICLES IN A NON-OXIDIZING ATMOSPHER AS THEY ISSUE FROM SAID REACTION ZONE, THEN COLLECTING THE METAL PARTICLES FOR FURTHER PROCESSING.