Sumitomo Metal Mining Company, Ltd.

Jun-ichi Kobayashi

Takashi Iseki

Shuji Okada

Yukihiro Goda

The present invention addresses the problem, in methods for producing a metal or alloy by reducing a mixture that contains an oxide ore, of providing an oxide ore smelting method with good productivity and efficiency. The present invention is an oxide ore smelting method for producing a metal or alloy by reducing a mixture that contains an oxide ore, the method comprising at least: a mixing step Sfor mixing an oxide ore with a carbonaceous reducing agent; a mixture-molding step Sfor molding the mixture obtained to obtain a mixture-molded body; and a reducing step Sfor heating the mixture-molded body obtained at a specified reducing temperature in a reducing furnace.

Oxide ore smelting method

Provided is a smelting method for producing metal by reducing a mixture that includes an oxide ore such as nickel oxide ore, wherein it is possible to improve productivity by raising the metal recovery rate as well as to inexpensively and efficiently produce high-quality metal. The present invention is a smelting method in which: an oxide ore and a carbonaceous reducing agent are mixed; the resulting mixture is heated and subjected to a reduction treatment; and metal and slag, which are reduction products, are obtained, wherein the reduction treatment is carried out in a state in which one or more surface deposits selected from carbonaceous reducing agents, metal oxides, and oxidation inhibitors are deposited on the surface of the mixture.

Method for smelting oxide ore

In a method for producing a metal or alloy by forming pellets from an oxide ore, a method for smelting an oxide ore, wherein a high-quality metal can be produced. Provided is a method for smelting an oxide ore to produce a metal or alloy by heating for reducing a mixture containing an oxide ore and a carbonaceous reducing agent, wherein the carbonaceous reducing agent is composed of particles (reducing agent particles), the number of reducing agent particles which are contained in the carbonaceous reducing agent and have a maximum particle length of 25 &#x3bc;m or less is 2% or more and 25% or less of the total number of reducing agent particles contained in the carbonaceous reducing agent, and the average maximum particle length of reducing agent particles having a maximum particle length greater than 25 &#x3bc;m is 30 &#x3bc;m or more and 80 &#x3bc;m or less.

Growing community of inventors

Niihama, Japan

Jun-ichi Kobayashi