Abstract: A novel process for the conversion of reactor feed to iron carbide is provided. The process includes the step of preheating the reactor feed in an oxidizing atmosphere. The iron carbide produced by the process is particularly useful in the production of steel.

Abstract: A prereduction furnace of a smelting reduction facility comprises a fluidizing prereduction chamber in the upper part of the prereduction furnace wherein iron ores are fed and prereduced, a gas blowing chamber installed in the lower part of the prereduction furnace wherein a reducing gas is fed, a distributor for separating the fluidizing prereduction chamber from the gas blowing chamber, and a discharge pipe for discharging the prereduced ore from the fluidizing prereduction chamber. The distributor includes a body of refractory material, a metal plate installed on the bottom of the body, nozzles passing through the body and the metal plate, metallic pipes inserted in the nozzles, and cooling pipes connected to the metal plate. A metallic box may be installed below the metal plate for providing passages for gas flow. A bottom plate may be installed spacedly below the metal plate, with nozzles passing therethrough. The distributor may comprise a rigid thick plate and a refractory layer thereon.

Abstract: A method of controlling product quality in a conversion of reactor feed to an iron carbide-containing product in a fluidized bed reactor. A Mossbauer analysis is performed on product samples leaving the fluidized bed reactor, and a regression analysis is performed on the Mossbauer data. Depending upon the results of the regression analysis, process parameters are adjusted in order to obtain a product having a desired composition. Adjustments are made to the temperature and pressure in the fluidized bed reactor, rate of feed to the fluidized bed reactor, and the composition of the process gas which reacts with the reactor feed in the fluidized bed reactor, dependent upon the analysis results.

Abstract: A process for producing pig-iron is described involving the use of a reduction shaft furnace 1 and a melt-down gasifier 2. The sponge iron produced from iron ore in the reduction shaft furnace is fed into the melt-down gasifier and converted into a pig-iron melt. The gas produced in the melt-down gasifier is passed as reducing gas into the reduction shaft furnace both via a cyclone separator 11 and a line 12 and directly via a line 13. The top gas leaving the reduction shaft furnace, after passing through a scrubber 4, is largely returned via a CO.sub.2 scrubber 6, in which CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O are removed from the top gas, in such a way that it can be used for forming the reducing gas in the melt-down gasifier and also as a cooling gas for the reducing gas produced in said gasifier.

Abstract: A method for smelting reduction of iron ore, comprises the steps of: introducing iron ore into a preheat and prereduction furnace and preheating and prereducing the iron ore, a prereduction degree being less than 30%; charging the iron ore, carbonaceous material and flux into a smelting reduction furnace; blowing oxygen gas, through decarburization nozzles and post-combustion nozzles placed in a top end of an oxygen lance, into the smelting reduction furnace, the top end of the oxygen lance being located so as to be between a top level and a bottom level of a slag layer; blowing a stirring gas through side tuyeres placed in a side wall and bottom tuyeres placed in a bottom wall of the smelting reduction furnace; and controlling a flow amount of the oxygen gas and the stirring gas so that an oxidation degree of an exhaust gas generated in the smelting reduction furnace ranges 0.4 to 0.9 and still a temperature of the exhaust gas ranges 300.degree. to 1300.degree. C.

Abstract: To produce molten pig iron by melt-reduction of iron ores of various grain sizes containing a fraction A including grain sizes to which diameters of less than 0.2 mm correspond, by pre-reducing the ore by reducing gas, completely reducing the pre-reduced material and smelting it to molten pig iron in a melter gasifier, the pre-reduced ore fraction A is separated from a fraction B including larger grain-size particles by classification by means of reducing-gas and the two fractions A and B are completely reduced separately and fed to the melting zone of the melter gasifier.

Abstract: Metal oxide ore is subjected to smelting reduction to obtain the molten metal by a method which comprises prereducing said ore in solid state in a prereduction furnace, thereafter melting said ore and carrying out final reduction thereof in a smelting reduction furnace, and at the same time introducing gas generated in said smelting reduction furnace and having reductive capability into said prereduction furnace, the rate of prereducing said ore in said prereduction furnace being controlled at a value with a maximum of the order of 33 percent for raising the rate of utilization of energy to a maximum limit.