Hylsa, S.a.

Fierro Esponja, S.a.

Juan Celada

Patrick W MacKay

Ricardo Viramontes-Brown

Juan F Price-Falcon

A method for the batchwise reduction of iron ore to sponge iron in a multiple unit reactor system is disclosed in which (a) separate fixed beds of iron-bearing material are simultaneously treated in at least one cooling reactor and at least two reduction reactors, (b) a reducing gas composed largely of carbon monoxide and hydrogen is used to cool the iron-bearing material in said cooling reactor and thereafter to reduce the iron-bearing material in said reduction reactors, (c) a stream of said reducing gas is caused to pass through the fixed bed of iron ore in said cooling reactor and then cooled and (d) a portion of the cooled effluent reducing gas from said cooling reactor is recycled thereto, the improvement which comprises causing the remainder of the cooling reactor effluent gas to be fed to said reduction reactors and to flow in parallel through the fixed beds of metal-bearing material in said reduction reactors, and heating the reducing gas fed to said reduction reactors before it enters said reactors in a gas superheater without combustion of said gas to a temperature of at least 900.degree. C.

Method of making sponge metal

A process for the direct gaseous reduction of iron ore to sponge iron wherein the sponge iron is cooled with a carbon-containing cooling gas by a dual temperature procedure that increases transfer of carbon from the cooling gas to the sponge iron and thereby permits the production of a product having a combination of relatively low or moderate metallization and relatively high potential metallization. Increased productivity of the direct reduction plant and of the overall integrated steel plant are achieved.

Growing community of inventors

Monterrey, Mexico

Juan Celada