Abstract: Iron ore concentrate is converted to magnetic gamma hematite in an autogenous roasting operation which is self-sustaining. The iron ore concentrate is preheated and contained magnetite is oxidized to hematite. Hematite is reduced to magnetite using carbon monoxide. After cooling, the magnetite is oxidatively exothermically converted to magnetic gamma hematite. The thermal energy resulting from the latter step is recycled to the preheating and reduction steps while thermal energy resulting from the cooling step also is recycled to those steps. The magnetic gamma hematite may be subjected to magnetic separation to produce a very low silica high purity iron oxide concentrate, which may be blended with high silica concentrate to provide a pellet feed for making blast furnace feed pellets.

Abstract: Steel sheet is formed directly from iron ore concentrate by reducing a bed of iron ore concentrate, particularly high purity magnetized magnetic gamma hematite, to a low density hot cake of carburized metallic iron and then hot rolling the hot cake to a metallic sheet of full density (meeting market specification).