Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for manufacturing granular metallic iron

US8377169B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
6References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 18, 2007
Grant dateFeb 19, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 6, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF27D7/06
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A method for manufacturing granular metallic iron by reducing a raw material mixture including an iron oxide-containing material and a carbonaceous reducing agent, comprises: a step of charging the raw material mixture onto a hearth of a moving hearth-type thermal reduction furnace; a step of reducing the iron oxide in the raw material mixture by the carbonaceous reducing agent through the application of heat, thereby forming metallic iron, subsequently melting the metallic iron, and coalescing the molten metallic iron to granular metallic iron while separating the molten metallic iron from subgenerated slag; and a step of cooling the metallic iron to solidify; wherein the heat-reducing step includes a step of controlling the flow velocity of atmospheric gas in a predetermined zone of the furnace within a predetermined range. This method makes it possible to manufacture the granular metallic iron of high quality.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.