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Abstract

A method of producing iron from finely divided iron oxide comprising the steps of: mixing iron oxide or iron ore fines with finely divided coal and a binder to form a mixture, agglomerating the mixture by compacting, pelletizing, or briquetting the mixture to form agglomerates or pellets, introducing the pellets to a rotary hearth furnace to prereduce the iron in the pellets, introducing the prereduced pellets into a smelting reduction vessel as the metallic charge constituent, introducing particulate carbonaceous fuel and oxygen to the smelting reduction vessel through the bottom of the vessel to react with the melt or bath within the vessel, reduce the iron to elemental iron and form an off gas containing CO and H.sub.2 introducing the off-gas into the rotary hearth furnace as process gas to prereduce the pellets therein, and drawing off the hot metal from the smelting reduction vessel. The prereduced compacts are preferably discharged from the rotary hearth furnace at a temperature of at least 1000.degree. C. into the smelting reduction vessel to form the molten iron product.

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First Claim