ORE REDUCTION PROCESS AND TITANIUM OXIDE AND IRON METALLIZATION PRODUCT

摘要

THE DISCLOSURE IS DIRECTED TO A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SEPARABLE IRON AND TITANIURN OXIDES FROM AN ORE CONTAINING TITANIUM OXIDE AND FERRIC OXIDE, COMPRISING: (A) FORMING AGGLOMERATES COMPRISING CARBON-BASED MATERIALS AND THE ORE, THE QUANTITY OF CARBON OF THE AGGLOMERATES BEING SUFFICIENT FOR, AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE, REDUCING FERRIC OXIDE TO FERROUS OXIDE AND FORMING A FERROUS OXIDE-RICH MOLTEN SLAG, (B) INTRODUCING THE AGGLOMERATES ONTO A CARBON BED OF A MOVING HEARTH FURNACE; (C) HEATING THE AGGLOMERATES IN THE MOVING HEARTH FURNACE TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT FOR REDUCING AND MELTING THE AGGLOMERATES TO PRODUCE A FERROUS OXIDE-RICH MOLTEN SLAG; (D) METALLIZING THE FERROUS OXIDE OF THE MOLTEN SLAG BY REACTION OF THE FERROUS OXIDE AND THE CARBON OF THE CARBON BED AT A FURNACE TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT FOR MAINTAINING THE SLAG IN A MOLTEN STATE; AND (E) SOLIDIFYING THE SLAG AFTER METALLIZATION OF THE FERROUS OXIDE TO FORM A MATRIX OF TITANIUM OXIDE-RICB SLAG HAVING A PLURALITY OF METALLIC IRON GRANULES DISTRIBUTED THERE THROUGH; AND (F) SEPARATING THE METALLIC IRON GRANULES FROM THE SLAG, THE SLAG COMPRISING GREATER THAN 85%TITANIUM DIOXIDE BASED ON THE ENTIRE WEIGHT OF THE MATRIX AFTER SEPARATION OF THE METALLIC IRON. THE DISCLOSURE IS ALSO DIRECTED TO A METALLIZATION PRODUCT OF A FERROUS OXIDE-RICH MOLTEN SLAG.