COAL CONSUMPTION IN SMELTING REDUCTION COMPARED WITH BLAST FURNACE.

Energy calculations of a proposed smelting reduction process for iron ore concentrates producing a metal with 4% carbon have been made. The process is carried out in two reactors: reduction to FeO at low temperature in a fluidized bed and to molten Fe in a high-temperature bath. Oxide and coal are injected into the bath or bed. Consumption figures for coal and oxygen are calculated for various degrees of combustion of the CO directly in the high-temperature reactor. Energy not transformed by radiation from direct combustion is converted to electrical energy, which is fed to the smelting reduction reactor. Energy consumption for the process is compared with that of a modern blast furnace, including energy for coking and sintering. It is found that the new process is energy-wise equivalent to the blast furnace, if 20% of the combustion is done in the reactor. At 50% combustion of primary CO, a coal consumption of 545 kg/ton Fe//m//e//t or 492 kg/ton steel is obtained.