Process for treating iron bearing material

摘要

A process for treating iron-bearing material with a carbonaceous material to form a dry mixture, wherein the amount of carbonaceous material added exceeds the stoichiometric amount required to reduce the metal oxide to elemental metal. In one embodiment, the process also includes blending an organic binder with the dry mixture. The dry mixture is agglomerated to bond the dry mixture and form green compacts. The green compacts are loaded into a heated furnace and heated for about 5-12 minutes at a temperature of between about 2100 DEG -2500 DEG F. to reduce the iron oxide containing compacts to compacts containing elemental iron and an excess amount of carbonaceous material wherein the excess amount of carbonaceous material counteracts re-oxidation of the elemental iron. The reduced compacts are then discharged from the furnace.