Process for obtaining iron from material containing iron oxides

Claim 1

IN PROCESS FOR PRODUCING METALLIC IRON BY REDUCTION OF THE IRON OF IRON OXIDE-BEARING MATERIAL CONTAINING GANGUE MATERIAL, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PLAING A CHARGE COMPRISES THE IRON OXIDE-BEARING MATERIAL, FLUXING MATERIAL AND SOLID CARBONACEOUS REDUCING MATERIAL ON THE SURFACE OF A MOLTEN SLAG BATH IN A COVERED OPEN-ARC ELECTRIC FURNACE PROVIDED WITH ONE OR MORE VERTICALLY EXTENDING ELECTRODES, MAINTAINING THE SLAG BATH AT A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH BY MEANS OF COMBINED ELECTRIC ARC AND RESISTANCE HEATING TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE HEAT REQUIRED FOR MELTING THE FLUXING MATERIAL AND GANGUE MATERIAL OF THE CHARGE WITH THE PRODUCTION OF MOLTEN SLAG AND FOR PROMOTING AND EFECTING REDUCTION OF THE IRON OF THE IRON OXIDE-BEARING MATERIAL OF THE CHARGE BY MEANS OF THE CARBONACEOUS REDUCING MATERIAL OF THE ND CHARGE WITH THE PRODUCTION OF MOLTEN METALLIC IRON, AND SEPARATING THE MOLTEN METALLIC IRON FROM THE MOLTEN SLAG OPERATION OF THE FURNACE DURING THE COURSE OF THE PROCESS BEING CONTROLLED TO MAINTAIN THE ARCING TIPS OF THE ONE OR MORE ELECTRODES IS SUFFICIENTLY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE MOLTEN SLAG BATH TO INHIBIT DISSIPATION OF ARC-DEVELOPED HEAT BY REFLECTION AND TO INSURE DELIVERY DIRECTLY TO THE MOLTEN SLAG BATH OF SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ARC-DEVELOPED HEAT, AND THE RATE OF INTRODUCTION OF CHARGE MATERIAL INTO THE FURNACE AND ONTO THE SURFACE OF THE MOLTEN SLAG BATH THEREIN BEING CONTROLLED TO MAINTAIN A LOW-PRESSURE ZONE ADJACENT THE ARCING TIPS OF THE ONE OR MORE ELECTRODES.