Patent ID: 7947107

Claim:
A fluidized bed process for reducing a metalliferous material, said process comprising: creating and maintaining first and second fluidized beds in first and second vessels respectively, supplying a solid carbonaceous material and an oxygen-containing gas into the first fluidized bed whereby heat is generated by reactions between the solid carbonaceous material and the oxygen-containing gas in the first fluidized bed and a stream of hot off-gas and entrained solids is discharged from the first vessel, supplying the metalliferous material and the stream of hot off-gas and entrained solids to the second fluidized bed whereby metalliferous material is at least partially reduced in the second fluidized bed, discharging a product stream that comprises at least partially reduced metalliferous material from the second vessel, and wherein the step of supplying a solid carbonaceous material and an oxygen-containing gas into the first fluidized bed comprises injecting the oxygen-containing gas into the first vessel with a downward flow at up to 40 degrees to the vertical via at least one lance.