Production of Iron

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023002853-A1
Application number	US-202217903790-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 6, 2022
Priority date	Oct 24, 2016
Publication date	Jan 5, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus for direct reduction of iron ore in a solid state including a pre-heating furnace for pre-heating iron ore fragments and biomass in briquettes of these materials to a temperature in the range of 400-900° C.; and a reduction assembly for briquettes from the pre-heating furnace. The reduction assembly includes a reaction chamber, a source of electromagnetic energy in the form of microwave energy, a wave guide for transferring microwave energy to the chamber for heating and reducing iron ore in briquettes from the pre-heating furnace, with biomass acting as a reductant, a source of an inert gas, pipework for supplying the inert gas to the chamber to maintain the chamber under anoxic conditions, and an outlet for discharging an offgas and any retained particulates that are generated in the chamber.

First claim

I claim:

1 . An apparatus for direct reduction of iron ore in a solid state, the apparatus including:
a pre-heating furnace for pre-heating iron ore fragments and biomass in briquettes of these materials to a temperature in the range of 400-900° C.; and a reduction assembly for briquettes from the pre-heating furnace, the reduction assembly including:
a reaction chamber,
a source of electromagnetic energy in the form of microwave energy,
a wave guide for transferring microwave energy to the reaction chamber for heating and reducing iron ore in briquettes from the pre-heating furnace, with biomass acting as a reductant,
a source of an inert gas,
pipework for supplying the inert gas to the reaction chamber to maintain the reaction chamber under anoxic conditions, and
an outlet for discharging an offgas and any retained particulates that are generated in the reaction chamber.

2 . The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the source of an inert gas is a source of nitrogen.

3 . The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the source of electromagnetic energy provides continuous or pulsed electromagnetic energy.

4 . The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the pre-heating furnace is designed to operate on a batch basis.

5 . The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein the reduction assembly is designed to operate on a batch basis.

Assignees

• Tech Resources Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Buckley Michael

Classifications

• F27D19/00

  Arrangements of controlling devices · CPC title

• C21B13/0066

  Preliminary conditioning of the solid carbonaceous reductant · CPC title

• C21B11/10

  in electric furnaces · CPC title

• C21B13/12 Primary

  in electric furnaces · CPC title

• H05B6/806

  for laboratory use · CPC title