Process for reduction of iron ore to magnetite

Claim 1

THE CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE REDUCTION OF IRON-BEARING CONSTITUENTS OF FINELY-DIVIDED IRON ORE SOLIDS TO MAGNETITE, WHICH COMPRISES ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING WITHIN AN ENCLOSED CHAMBER AND EVERCHANGING BED OF SUCH SOLIDS BY FEEDING SUCH SOLIDS TO A LOWER SECTION OF SUCH BED AND CONDUCTING SOLIDS FROM AN UPPER SECTION THEREOF, MAINTAINING THE SOLIDS OF SUCH BED AS TURBULENTLY MOBILIZED SOLIDS BY PASSING THERETHROUGH AN UPRISING STREAM OF FLUIDIZING GAS AT FLUIDIZING VELOCITIES, SUPPLYING FREE-OXYGEN TO A LOWER SECTION OF THE BED, SUPPLYING AN UPRISING STREAM OF COMBUSTIBLE REDUCING GAS TO A LOWER SECTION OF THE BED IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO COMBUSTIBLY REACT WITH SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE SUPPLIED FREE-OXYGEN WHILE LEAVING RESIDUALLY IN SUCH UPRISING GAS STREAM SUFFICIENT REDUCING GAS TO REDUCE ORE SOLIDS IN AN UPPER SECTION OF THE BED SUBSTANTIALLY TO MAGNETITE, AND REDUCING ORE SOLIDS IN SUCH UPER SECTION BEFORE CONDUCTING THEM THEREFROM BY CONTROLLING THE QUANTITY OF FREE-OXYGEN SUPPLIED TO THE BED TO BE SUCH AN AMOUNT THAT WHEN SUBSTANTIALLY COMBUSTIBLY REACTED WITH COMBUSTIBLE REDUCING GASES WILL LIBERATE SUFFICIENT HEAT TO MAINTAIN SUCH SOLIDS AT REDUCING TEMPERATURES WHEREBY THEY WILL BE REDUCED BY THE ACTION OF THE RESIDUAL UPRISING REDUCING GAS.