Method and apparatus for the direct reduction of iron ore into pulverulent iron by means of a gaseous reducing agent

Claim 1

A METHOD OF REDUCING IRON ORE TO METALLIC IRON POWDER WHICH COMPRISES: PASSING A FLUIDIZING AND REDUCING GAS AND FINELY DIVIDED IRON ORE THROUGH A PLURALITY OF FLUIDIZED BEDS ARRANGED IN CASCADE, SAID GAS AND SAID ORE BEING PASSED IN COUNTERCURRENT RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER, SAID LFUIDIZING AND REDUCING GAS CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF CO, CO2, H2, H2O AND N2; MAINTAINING SAID FLUIDIZED BEDS AT TEMPERATURES SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT REDUCTION OF THE ORE TO FEO AND TO PERMIT THE FEO TO BE DISCHARGED AS A POWDER AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 900*C. AND 1050*C.; COOLING THE RESULTING FEO TO ABOUT 700*C. BY DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH A PORTION OF THE GAS LEAVING THE PLURALITY OF FLUIDIZED BEDS AFTER IT HAS COMPLETELY TRAVERSED SAID BEDS; AND THEREAFTER SUBJECTING THE COOLED FEO TO REDUCTION TO METALLIC IRON POWDERT IN A SECOND SERIES OF FLUIDIZED BEDS IN WHICH THE FEO IS MAINTAINED IN CONTACT WITH HYDROGEN AS THE FLUIDIZING GAS, AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 700*C. WHEREBY A CARBON-FREE IRON POWDER IS OBTAINED AS THE REDUCTION PRODUCT.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF REDUCING IRON ORE TO METALLIC IRON POWDER WHICH COMPRISES: PASSING A FLUIDIZING AND REDUCING GAS AND FINELY DIVIDED IRON ORE THROUGH A PLURALITY OF FLUIDIZED BEDS ARRANGED IN CASCADE, SAID GAS AND SAID ORE BEING PASSED IN COUNTERCURRENT RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER, SAID LFUIDIZING AND REDUCING GAS CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF CO, CO2, H2, H2O AND N2; MAINTAINING SAID FLUIDIZED BEDS AT TEMPERATURES SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT REDUCTION OF THE ORE TO FEO AND TO PERMIT THE FEO TO BE DISCHARGED AS A POWDER AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 900*C. AND 1050*C.; COOLING THE RESULTING FEO TO ABOUT 700*C. BY DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH A PORTION OF THE GAS LEAVING THE PLURALITY OF FLUIDIZED BEDS AFTER IT HAS COMPLETELY TRAVERSED SAID BEDS; AND THEREAFTER SUBJECTING THE COOLED FEO TO REDUCTION TO METALLIC IRON POWDERT IN A SECOND SERIES OF FLUIDIZED BEDS IN WHICH THE FEO IS MAINTAINED IN CONTACT WITH HYDROGEN AS THE FLUIDIZING GAS, AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 700*C. WHEREBY A CARBON-FREE IRON POWDER IS OBTAINED AS THE REDUCTION PRODUCT.