SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PRODUCING METALLIC IRON

摘要

A hearth furnace (10) for producing metallic iron material has a furnace housing (11) with a drying/preheat zone (12) capable of providing a drying/preheat atmosphere for reducible material, a conversion zone (13) capable of providing a reducing atmosphere for reducible material, a fusion zone (14) capable of providing an atmosphere to at least partially reduced metallic iron material, and optionally a cooling zone (15) capable of providing a cooling atmosphere for reduced material containing metallic iron material. A movable hearth (20) within the furnace housing (11) in a direction through the drying/preheat zone (12), then the conversion zone (13), then the fusion zone (14), and then the cooling zone (15). A separation barrier 30 is positioned within at least a portion of the conversion zone (13), the separation barrier (30) separating the conversion zone (13) into a combustion region (32) and a reducing region (31) with the reducing region (31) adjacent the hearth (20) and the combustion region (32) adjacent the reducing region (31) and spaced from the hearth (20).