Metallurgical process

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ALLOYED STEEL FROM ORES OF CHROMIUM OXIDE AND IRON OXIDE THAT COMPRISES, SUBJECTING A FIRST ORE FRACTION OF MIXED CHROMIUM AND IRON OXIDE CONTENTS TO REDUCTION SMELTING IN THE PRESENCE OF A CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT REDUCTION TO THE METALLIC STATE OF SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE IRON OXIDE AND CHROMIUM OXIDE CONTAINED THEREIN WITH THE PRODUCTION OF A CRUDE HIGH-CARBON IRON-CHROMIUM ALLOY AND A WASTER SLAG PRODUCT, SUBJECTING A SECOND ORE FRACTION CONTAINING A PREDOMINANT PROPORTION OF IRON OXIDE TO REDUCTION SMELTING IN THE PRESENCE OF A CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT IN AN AMOUNT CONTROLLED TO EFFECT THE SELECTIVE REDUCTION TO THE METALLIC STATE OF THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE IRON OXIDE CONTENT THEREOF WITH THE PRODUCTION OF LOW-CARBON METALLIC IRON, BLENDING SAID HIGHCARBON IRON-CHROMIUM ALLOY WITH SAID LOW-CARBON METALLIC IRON TO PROVIDE A MASTER ALLOY OF CONTROLLED INTERMEDIATE CARBON CONTENT, AND REFINING SAID MASTER ALLOY AS NECESSARY FOR THE PRODUCTION AND RECOVERY OF A CHROMIUMALLOYED STEEL PRODUCT.