Process for reduction of iron ore

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR REDUCING IRON OXIDE WHICH COMPRISES COMMINUTING SAID IRON OXIDE INTO PARTICLES HAVING AN AVERAGE SIZE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 100 TO 3000 MICRONS CONTACTING SAID COMMINUTED IRON ORE PARTICLES IN A FLUIDIZED BED WITH A GAS COMPRISING CARBON MONOXIDE AND STEAM AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 600 TO 1000*F. IN A SHIFT CONVERSION ZONE TO PRODUCE CARBON DIOXIDE AND HYDROGEN, WITHDRAWING GAS COMPRISING CARON DIOXIDE AND HYDROGEN FROM SAID SHIFT CONVERSION ZONE, SEPARATING SAID CARBON DIOXIDE TO PRODUCE A HYDROGEN-RICH GAS CONTAINING AT LEAST 9/ PERCENT HYDROGEN BY VOLUME, PASSING SAID HYDROGEN-RICH GAS TO AN IRON OXIDE REDUCTION ZONE, PASSING SAID PARTICLES FROM SAID SHIFT CONVERSION ZONE TO SAID REDUCTION ZONE TO COMPRISE AT LEAST A PART OF THE IRON OXIDE CHARGED TO SAID REDUCTION ZONE, AND PASSING SAID HYDROGEN-RICH GAS THROUGH A FLUIDIZED BED OF SAID IRON OXIDE PARTICLES IN SAID REDUCTION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 700 TO 1600*F. TO EFFECT RDUCTION OF SAID IRON OXIDE.