Patent ID: 6132489
Filing Date: 2000-10-17
Classification: C21B,C22B,Y02P

Abstract:
A method for reducing iron-oxide to metallic iron by reacting iron oxide-containing-particles to metallic-iron-containing particles in a solid state with a reducing gas mainly composed of hydrogen, and having a broad range of sizes in a vertical reduction reactor having at least one reduction zone, wherein said particles form at least two types of beds: a fluidized bed and a moving bed; said method comprising:(a) introducing said particles through at least one oxides-feeding pipe with its discharging end positioned within said fluidized bed;(b) causing a reducing gas, at a temperature above about 700.degree. C., to flow upwardly through said reduction zone at a regulated velocity so that said reducing gas forms a fluidized bed with a first portion of said particles and a non-fluidized bed, where the average size of particles of said first portion is smaller than the average size of particles of said second portion;(c) causing said metallic-iron-containing particles to overflow from said fluidized bed and fall through at least one discharging pipe having an inlet end at the upper part of said fluidized bed and at a height above said discharging end of the oxides-feeding pipe;(d) withdrawing metallic-iron-containing particles from said non-fluidized bed through at least one discharging pipe, positioned at a height below said discharging end of the oxides-feeding pipe; and,(e) withdrawing at least a portion of said reducing gas from said reduction zone through at least one gas outlet at a point above said collector pipe.