AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SPONGE IRON WITH THE SIMULTANEOUS GENERATION OF TOP GAS

摘要

A method for the direct reduction of particulate iron-oxide-containing material. The method is carried out in a shaft furnace, wherein reformed gas from a reformer is fed as reducing gas to a reducing zone of the shaft furnace, the directly reduced ferrous particles are discharged from the shaft furnace and the top gas forming during reduction is extracted from the upper section of the shaft furnace. A hydrocarbon-containing gas is injected into the shaft furnace. Natural gas is separated into a first fraction enriched with low hydrocarbons and a second fraction enriched with higher hydrocarbons. The first fraction is conducted through the reformer and the second fraction is fed into the shaft furnace.