METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GRANULAR METALLIC IRON

摘要

A process for producing granular metallic iron by subjecting a raw materi al mixture comprising both an iron oxide-containing substance and a carbonac eous reducing agent to reduction, which comprises the step of charging the r aw material mixture onto the hearth of a shifting-hearth heating/reducing fu rnace, the step of reducing the iron oxides contained in the raw material mi xture with the carbonaceous reducing agent through heating to form metallic iron, melting the metallic iron, and then condensing the molten metallic iro n into a granular one while separating the molten metallic iron from slag ge nerated as by-product, and the step of solidifying the resulting metallic ir on by cooling, wherein the heating/reducing step is accompanied with the ste p of controlling the flow rate of atmospheric gas in a prescribed zone of th e furnace to a level within a prescribed range. High-quality granular metall ic iron can be produced by the process.