Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Yoshitomo Ishii

Masahiro Tomita

Mamoru Aoki

Dentaro Kaneko

Kei Utsunomiya

Minoru Nishibe

Sumihide Fujii

Hironobu Sako

Hazime Fukinbara

Katsunori Shimazaki

Katuzi Mizutani

A process for the direct reduction of iron oxide by blowing into a reduction furnace a reducing gas which is prepared by reforming a mixture of a reduction furnace exhaust gas and a gas mainly composed of methane, which comprises the steps of dividing the gas mainly composed of methane into two branch streams, mixing the first branch stream gas with a part of the reduction furnace exhaust gas and supplying the resulting mixture to the externally heated reformer furnace, to produce a high-temperature reformed gas; mixing the second branch stream gas with said high-temperature reformed gas and during the course to the reduction furnace, subjecting the mixture to endothermic reforming reactions in an after-reactor without external heating, utilizing the sensible heat of the high-temperature mixed gas, controlling the self-reforming reactions so as to lower the temperature and simultaneously adjust the composition of the high-temperature mixed gas, and blowing the reducing gas obtained into the reduction furnace. Effective use of the sensible heat can be achieved.

Direct reduction process for producing metallic iron

The surface of a metal is treated in a fluidized bed system, in which a hot rolled metal is continuously subjected to an in-line treatment to suppress the formation of scale on its surface or to remove the same therefrom, and then is introduced into a gaseous fluidized bed of a non-oxidizing gas, which contains metal or alloy particles having a low melting point, as fluidized particles, so as to bring the hot rolled metal into contact with the fluidized particles. As a result, the fluidized metal particles or alloy particles may be melted and solidified on the surface of the rolled metal to provide a coated layer of a metal or alloy having a low melting point on the surface thereof. In addition, during the surface treatment in the fluidized bed system, a heat treatment such as patenting or cooling may be applied concomitantly in combination therewith.

Surface treatment for metal according to fluidized bed system

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Kobe, Japan

Yoshitomo Ishii