Production of metallic iron and silicate glass

Claim 1

THE METHOD JOF PRODUCING LOW SULFUR, HEAT-TREATABLE METALLIC IRON AND A VITREOUS HOMOGENEOUS GLASS-LIKE SLAG OF FUSED OXIDES OF AN ALKALI METAL AND OF SILICON, SAID SLAG BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM IRON OXIDE, WHICH CONSISTS OF REACTING AT LEAST AT A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH SAID IRON AND SAID SLAG ARE MOLTEN AND ADMIXTURE OF AN IRON CONTAINING MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF IRON ORES, SILICEOUS AND FERRIFEROUS CHERTS AND SHALE, COAL ASH, FLY ASH AND FURNACE SLAG HAVING AT LEAST 3 1/2 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF IRON IN A REDUCIBLE FORM AND AT LEAST 2 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF SILICON DIOXIDE, A CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL CONTAINING FIXED CARBON, AND AN ALKALI METAL COMPOUND SELECTED FROMTHE CLASS CONSISTING OF ALKALI METAL OXIDES, HYDROXIDES, AND CARBONATES, THE MOLE RATIO OF THE FIXED CARBON TO IRON BEING SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE IRON INTHE IRON CONTAINING MATERIAL AND THE MOLE RATIO OF THE ALKALI METAL COMPOUND, EXPRESSED AS SODIUM OXIDE, TO SILICON DIOXIDE BEING FROM AOBUT 0.25 TO ABOUT 4, CONTINUING THE REACTION UNTIL THE IRON CONTAINING MATERIAL IS SUBSTANTIALLY ALL REDUCED TO A LAYER OF MOLTEN METALLIC IRON AND A LAYER OF MOLTEN GLASS-LIKE SLAG AND THEREAFTER EFFECTING A SEPARATION OF SAID MOLTEN IRON LAYER FROM THE GLASS-LIKE SLAG.

Claim 2

THE METHOD JOF PRODUCING LOW SULFUR, HEAT-TREATABLE METALLIC IRON AND A VITREOUS HOMOGENEOUS GLASS-LIKE SLAG OF FUSED OXIDES OF AN ALKALI METAL AND OF SILICON, SAID SLAG BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM IRON OXIDE, WHICH CONSISTS OF REACTING AT LEAST AT A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH SAID IRON AND SAID SLAG ARE MOLTEN AND ADMIXTURE OF AN IRON CONTAINING MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF IRON ORES, SILICEOUS AND FERRIFEROUS CHERTS AND SHALE, COAL ASH, FLY ASH AND FURNACE SLAG HAVING AT LEAST 3 1/2 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF IRON IN A REDUCIBLE FORM AND AT LEAST 2 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF SILICON DIOXIDE, A CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL CONTAINING FIXED CARBON, AND AN ALKALI METAL COMPOUND SELECTED FROMTHE CLASS CONSISTING OF ALKALI METAL OXIDES, HYDROXIDES, AND CARBONATES, THE MOLE RATIO OF THE FIXED CARBON TO IRON BEING SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE IRON INTHE IRON CONTAINING MATERIAL AND THE MOLE RATIO OF THE ALKALI METAL COMPOUND, EXPRESSED AS SODIUM OXIDE, TO SILICON DIOXIDE BEING FROM AOBUT 0.25 TO ABOUT 4, CONTINUING THE REACTION UNTIL THE IRON CONTAINING MATERIAL IS SUBSTANTIALLY ALL REDUCED TO A LAYER OF MOLTEN METALLIC IRON AND A LAYER OF MOLTEN GLASS-LIKE SLAG AND THEREAFTER EFFECTING A SEPARATION OF SAID MOLTEN IRON LAYER FROM THE GLASS-LIKE SLAG.