Abstract: In the production of iron powder from iron oxide, normally it is difficult and costly to obtain complete reduction by conventional techniques; the present process provides an improvement whereby iron oxide powder is coated with an additive capable of liberating elemental carbon under the reducing conditions encountered in a furnace enabling the iron oxide powder to be supported on a perforated belt whereafter the same is passed through a furnace or the like so that the reducing gases can penetrate into the mass supported on the belt and the inert gases produced by the reaction can escape through the perforations in the belt.