Patent ID: 8613787

Claim:
A method for the production of iron from an iron oxide-containing material, the method including: feeding a pre-determined quantity of an iron oxide-containing material with a particle size distribution range with a ∂ 90 of less than 2 mm and a predetermined quantity of an excess of carbon-containing material with a particle size distribution range with a ∂ 90 of less than 6 mm, into an inclined externally electrically heated rotating cylindrical reactor or rotary kiln capable of routinely producing at least 1000 kg/h of iron; contacting the iron-oxide-containing material and the carbon-containing material in the externally electrically heated rotating cylindrical reactor or rotary kiln at a temperature of between 900° C. and 1200° C. for a contact time of between 30 minutes and 360 minutes to reduce the iron oxide to iron powder, the feed rates of the iron oxide-containing material and the carbon-containing material and the operating temperature of the reactor being selected so that a superficial gas flow rate through the reactor caused by the release of gases resulting from the reduction is less than 2 ms −1 ; and magnetically separating product iron powder from excess carbon-containing material.