Production of ferromagnetic iron oxide

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD OF CONVERTING NON-MAGNETIC ALPHA FERRIC OXIDE INTO MAGNETIC GAMMA FERRIC OSIDE, WHEREIN A CONFINED BODY OF THE ALPHA FERRIC OXIDE IS SUCCESSIVELY AND CONTINUOUSLY PASSED THROUG A HEATING- REDUCING ZONE TO CONVERT IT TO MAGNETIC FERROSOFERRIC OSIDE AND THEN THROUGH A COOLING-OXIDIZING ZONE TO CONVERT THE FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE INTO MAGNETIC GAMMA FERRIC OXIDE, REGULATED AMOUNTS OF A REDUCING AGENT BEING INTRODUCED INTO THE HEATING-REDUCING ZONE, REGULATED ANOUNTS OF OXIDIZING AIR BEING INTRODUCED INTO THE COOLING-ZONE, AND COOLED GAMMA FERRIC OXIDE IS DICHARGE FROM THE COOLINGOXIDIZING ZONE, THE IMPROVEMENT IN WHICH THE HEATING-RE DUCING AND THE COOLING-OXIDIZING ZONES ARE GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED AND IN DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH ONE ANOTHER, THE FERRIC OXIDE IS CAUSED TO PASS CONTINUOUSLY IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND IN A RELATIVELY THIN BODY THROUGH THE COMMUNICATING HEATING-REDUCING AND THE COOLING-OXIDIZING ZONES, THE REDUCING AGENT IS INTRODUCED INTO THE CHARGING END OF THE HEATING-REDUCING ZONE AND PASSES CONCURRENTLY WITH THE RELATIVELY THIM BODY OF FERRIC OXIDE THROUGH SAID ZONE, AND IN CONTACT THEREWITH, THE OXIDIZING AIR IS INTRODUCED INTO THE DISCHARGING END OF THE COOLING-OXIDIZING ZONE AND PASSES COUNTERCURRENTLY TO THE RELATIVELY THIN BODY OF FERRIC OXIDE MOVING THROUGH SAID ZONE AND IN CONTACT THEREWITH, A RELATIVELY LARGE FREE GAS SPACE IS PROVIDED IN EACH OF SAID ZONES ADJACENT THE FERRIC OXIDE THEREIN TO FACILITATE CONTACT BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUAL FERRIC OXIDE PARTICLES AND THE REDUCING AND OXIDIZING GASES, RESPECTIVELY, AND TO FACILITATE VENTING OF THE SPENT REDUCING AND OXIDIZING GASES FROM THE HEATIN-REDUCING AND COOLING-OXIDIZING ZONES, THE SPENT GASES FROM THE HEATING-REDUCING ZONE ARE VENTED FROM ADJACENT THE END OF THAT ZONE DIRECTLY TO THE OPEN ATMOSPHERE TO PREVENT THEIR ENTRY INTO THE COOLING-OXIDIZING ZONE AND THEIR FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE OXIDE, AND THE SPENT GASES FROM THE COOLING-OXIDIZING ZONE ARE VENTED FROM ADJACENT THE END OF THAT ZONE DIRECTLY TO THE ATMOSPHERE TO PREVENT THEIR ENTRY INTO THE HEATING-REDUCING ZONE AND THEIR FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE OXIDE.