Method of treating iron oxide fines

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PREPARING A SYNTHETIC PRODUCT FOR USE IN STEELMAKING COMPRISING CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING FINELY DIVIDED HIGHER IRON OXIDE STARTING MATERIAL TO A PRIMARY FLUIDIZED BED REACTOR, CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING INTERMEDIATE PRODUCT FROM SAID PRIMARY REACTOR TO A SECONDARY FLUIDIZED BED REACTOR, CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING ASCENDING CURRENTS OF A FRESH REDUCING GAS OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CARBON MONOXIDE, HYDROGEN AND MIXTURES THEREOF TO SAID SECONDARY REACTOR AND OF OFF-GAS FROM SAID SECONDARY REACTOR TO SAID PRIMARY REACTOR COUNTER TO THE FLOW OF IRON OXIDE MATERIAL, THE ASCENDING GAS CURRENTS MAINTAINING THE BEDS IN EACH REACTOR IN A FLUIDIZED STATE, MAINTAINING BOTH REACTOR TEMPERATURES IN THE RANGE 11100F. TO THE STICKING TEMPERATURE, CONTROLLING CONDITIONS IN THE SECONDARY REACTOR TO APPROACH EQUILIBRIUM FOR THE REDUCTION OF FEO TO FE AND IN THE PRIMARY REACTOR TO APPROACH EQUILIBRIUM FOR THE REDUCTION OF HIGHER OXIDES OF IRON TO FEO, WHEREBY