Development of Coal Gasification-Iron Ore Reduction Process by Fluidized Bed

Abstract

This study was made to investigate a process in which the gasification of coal and the reduction of iron ore took place simultaneously in a reactor. Fluidized bed was selected for the type of reactor from preliminary study on reduction time at 800°C.
The result obtained from the tests using hydrogen gas, mixed gas and recirculating gas with 100 mm inner diameter reactor are as follows.
1) Metallization more than 90% can be achieved at reaction temperature above 920°C with mean resident time above 10 minutes.
2) Metallization is affected with the ratio of half the number of hydrogen atomes as a form of hydrogen, moisture and hydro-carbon contained in gasses, ore and reductant supplied to the reactor and the total number of iron atomes contained in ore, since in this process there are always solid carbons such as char in the reactor. The molar ratio of the hydrogen/Iron is to be preferably more than 4.
3) Coking coal which tend to cause sintering is also usable provided that more active fluidization or rapid gasification is maintained.