Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
137 words
Process for the manufacture of steel products from an enriched ore without passing through the liquid phase comprising the steps of: (1) forming a concentrated iron ore by crushing an enriched iron ore, pre-reducing the crushed ore, crushing the pre-reduced ore to a granulometry less than or equal to that of the ore before pre-reduction and magnetically enriching the ore, (2) forming a billet from a mixture of (a) a concentrated iron ore in powder form having a non-reducible oxide content below 1% by weight (b) a lubricant and (c) a carbonized reducing agent, (3) compacting the billet, (4) heating the compacted billet under a non-oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature from 1100° to 1350° C to reduce the ore and form a non-oxidized porous steel billet, and (5) working the hot billet to form the steel product.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
137 words
Process for the manufacture of steel products from an enriched ore without passing through the liquid phase comprising the steps of: (1) forming a concentrated iron ore by crushing an enriched iron ore, pre-reducing the crushed ore, crushing the pre-reduced ore to a granulometry less than or equal to that of the ore before pre-reduction and magnetically enriching the ore, (2) forming a billet from a mixture of (a) a concentrated iron ore in powder form having a non-reducible oxide content below 1% by weight (b) a lubricant and (c) a carbonized reducing agent, (3) compacting the billet, (4) heating the compacted billet under a non-oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature from 1100° to 1350° C to reduce the ore and form a non-oxidized porous steel billet, and (5) working the hot billet to form the steel product.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
Process according to claim 1 wherein the billet is worked by extrusion, rolling or forging.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
Process according to claim 1 wherein the mixture also includes a binder.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
Process according to claim 1 wherein the lubricant mixed with the ore is an organic stearate or a chlorinated paraffin.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
Process according to claim 3 wherein the binder is methyl polymethacrylate in solution in methyl chloride.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
Process according to claim 1 wherein the mixture includes additives selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ni, Mo, W, Pb, Se, Te, the compounds and ferro-alloys of these elements in powder form, having a granulometry less than or equal to that of the ore are added to the mixture to give the metal the desired elements.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
Process according to claim 1 wherein the carbonized reducer added to the mixture is powdered carbon in the form of graphite, lamp black or pitch.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
Process according to claim 1 wherein the carbonized reducer is a hydrocarbon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
60 words
Process according to claim 1 wherein the carbonized reducer is added to the mixture in a quantity which corresponds to the stoichiometric reduction of the reducinle oxides remaining in the mixture, increased by the quantity corresponding to the desired carbon content in the steel and reduced by the quantity corresponding to the carbon content of the ore of the mixture.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
84 words
Process according to claim 1 wherein the reducer used for the complete reduction includes a gas rich in hydrogen and which circulates at over pressure against the flow of the billet in a first area of a reducing furnace at a temperature of between 400° C and 700° C, inclusive, and that the carbonized reducer added to the mixture brings just the carbon required for obtaining the desired carbon content in the steel, decreased by the carbon content of the ore of the mixture.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
46 words
Process according to claim 10 wherein the reduction furnace comprises a second heating area at a temperature of between 1100° and 1350° C, inclusive, where a non-oxidizing gas circulates at a pressure which is slightly above that of the reducing gas pressure in the first area.