Process for reduction of iron ore with separate introduction of reducing agent

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR THE THERMAL REDUCTION OF IRON ORE BY MEANS OF SOLID CARBON-CONTAINING FUEL WHICH COMPRISES PASSING IRON ORE IN THE FORM OF PARTICLES HAVING A GRAIN SIZE OF AT LEAST 6 MM. AND ESSENTIALLY FREE FROM EXTERNALLY ADMIXED CARBON THROUGH A PREHEATER, OXIDATION ZONE TO PREHEAT THE ORE WHILE OXIDIZING COMPLETELY GASEOUS SUBSTITUENTS PRESENT THEREIN, AND THENCE THROUGH A REDUCTION ZONE, INTORDUCING AN EXCESS OF SUBSTANTIALLY VOLATILES-FREE SOLID CARBON-CONTAINING FUEL INTO THE ALREADY PREHEATED ORE IN THE REDUCTION ZONE TO REDUCE SUBSTANTIALLY SUCH ORE WHILE GENERATING HOT GASEOUS SUBSTITUENTS, PASSING THE HOT SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED ORE INTO A VOLATILIZATION ZONE, INTRODUCING VOLATILES-RICH SOLID CARBON-CONTAINING FUEL INTO CONTACT WITH THE HOT SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED ORE IN SAID VIOLATILIZATION ZONE TO VOLATILIZE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY THE VOLATILE CONSTITUENTS IN SAID VOLATILES-RICH FUEL, RECOVERING THE REDUCED ORE REACTION MIXTURE INCLUDING THE REMAINING SOLID FUEL FROM THE VOLATILIZATION ZONE, PASSING THE VOLATILIZED VOLATILE CONSTITUENTS FROM SAID VOLATILIZATION ZONE TO SAID REDUCTION ZONE TO AID IN THE REDUCTION OF THE PREHEATED ORE, AND PASSING THE HOT GASEOUS SUBSTITUENTS GENERATED IN SAID REDUCTION ZONE TO SAID OXIDATION ZONE FOR SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE OXIDATION THEREIN TO PREHEAT THE INCOMING ORE WITH BOTH THE SENSIBLE HEAT AND THE LATENT HEAT OF SUCH HOT GASEOUS SUBSTITUENTS.