Reduction of iron ore

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF METALLIC IRON FROM IRON ORES WHEREIN A PARTICULATE IRON ORE FEED IS INTRODUCED TO A SERIES OF FLUIDIZED ORE BEDS AND PROGRESSIVELY REDUCED, AT TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM ABOUT 1000*F. TO ABOUT 1800*F., BY PASSAGE OF THE ORE FROM ONE BED TO THE NEXT OF THE SERIES OF BEDS COUNTERCURRENT TO THE FLOW OF AN ASCENDING REDUCING GAS STREAM INTRODUCED INTO A LOWER BED OF THE SERIES, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A CIRCULATORY STREAM BY PASSING GAS FROM A HIGH PRESSURE DISPERSE PHASE ZONE, LOCATED ABOVE AND CONTIGUOUS TO A BED, TO A RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE ZONE, INTRODUCING IRON ORE FEED INTO THE CIRCULATORY STREAM TO FORM AN IRON ORE GAS-SOLIDS DISPERSE PAHSE, TRANSPORTING THE IRON ORE GAS-SOLIDS DISPERSE PHASE TO SAID LOW PRESSURE ZONE, SEPARATING THE ORE FROM THE GAS, FORMING AND PASSING A DENSE PHASE COLUMN OF ORE DOWNWARDLY INTO AN INITIAL BED OF SAID SERIES OF FLUIDIZED ORE BEDS WHEREIN THE PRESSURES RANGE HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE SAID LOW PRESSURE ZONE.