Process and apparatus for making steel from powdered iron ore

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR MAKING STEEL POWDERED IRON ORE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF OXIDATION ROASTING SAID ORE, REDUCTION ROATING SAID ORE AND MELTING THE RESULTANT REDUCED PRODUCT, EACH STEP BEING EFFECTED IN A SEPARATE ZONE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING (1) OXIDATION ROASTING POWDERED IRON ORE-LIMESTONE FLUIDIZED MASS TO CALCINATION IN A FIRST ZONE, SAID FLUIDIZED MASS BEING CREATED BY BLOWING EXHAUSST GAS FROM SAID REDUCTION ROASTING THROUGH SAID FIRST ZONE, WHEREBY SAID POWDERED IRON ORE-LIMESTONE MASS IS OXIDIZED, (2) CYCLONE SEPARATING SAID RESULTANT OXIDIZED FLUIDIZED MASS, WHEREBY OXIDIZED POWDERED IRON ORE ADMIXTURE IS SEPARATED FROM FLUIDIZING GAS, (3) REDUCTION ROASTING THE RESULTANT POWEDERE ADMIXTURE FROM STEP (2) IN FLUIDIZED MASS IN THE PRESENCE OF CARBON, SAID FLUIDIZED MASS BEING CREATED BY BLOWING ELEMENTAL CARBON-CONTAINING REDUCING GAS OF STEP (6) THERETHROUGH, WHEREBY ELEMENTAL IRON IS PRODUCED, (4) CYCLONE SEPARATING THE RESULTANT REDUCED FLUIDIZED MASS, WHEREBY ELEMENTAL IRON IS SEPARATED FROM SAID REDUCING GAS, (5) MELTING RESULTANT ELEMENTAL IRON IN A MELTING ZONE AT ABOUT 1600*C., HEAT FOR SAID MELTING PROVIDED BY COMBUSTING HYDROCARBON WITH OXYGEN IN SAID ZONE, WHEREBY LIQUID IRON AND REDUCING GAS ARE PRODUCED, (6) ADMIXING THE RESULTANT REDUCING GAS WITH CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL TO THEREBY FORM FLUIDIZING GAS FOR THE REDUCTION ROASTING OF STEP (3).