Iron blast furnace fuel injection

Claim 1

IN THE OPERATION OF A BLAST FURNACE FOR PRODUCING IRON OF THE TYPE HAVING A PLURALITY OF TUYERES, EACH TUYERE HAVING A FUEL NOZZLE THEREIN AND A PIPE SYSTEM FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO THE NOZZLE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES CHARGING IRON ORE, LIMESTONE AND COKE INTO THE FURNACE, THE AMOUNT OF COKE BEING INSUFFICIENT TO REDUCE ALL OF THE IRON ORE, BLOWING THROUGH THE NOZZLES A LIQUID-SOLID FUEL MIXTURE CONSISTING OF SOLID CARBON PARTICLES SUSPENDED IN A HYDROCARBON LIQUID FUEL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF BUNKER-C OIL, COAL TAR AND MIXTURES THEREOF, THE SPECIFIC GRAVITIES OF THE SOLID CARBON AND HYDROCARBON LIQUID FUEL BEING APPROXIMATELY THE SAME, SAID FUEL MIXTURE BEING FORCED THROUGH THE PIPE SYSTEM AND BLOWN OUT OF THE NOZZLES INTO CONTACT WITH AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS BEING BLOWN THROUGH THE TUYERES, SAID FUEL MIXTURE BEING CHARGED INTO THE FURNACE IN AT LEAST AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE THE IRON ORE UNREDUCED BY COKE.