PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SPONGE IRON

Sponge iron is produced by a direct reduction of iron oxide containing materials in a rotary kiln, the material discharged from the rotary kiln is separated into sponge iron and material which contains surplus carbon, the carbon-containing material is burnt in a fluidized bed reactor containing a circulating fluidized bed, and the heat generated by the combustion is recovered and utilized to produce electric power. To ensure a utilization of the surplus energies of the rotary kiln process and to minimize the contents of SO2, NOX, and CaS, the dust-containing exhaust gas from the rotary kiln is supplied to the fluidized bed reactor and is afterburnt therein, at least a major part of all oxygen-containing gases supplied to the fluidized bed reactor is supplied as a fluidizing gas to the lower portion of the fluidized bed reactor, the combustion of the combustible constituents is effected with an over-stoichiometric oxygen content, and the solids entrained by the gases discharged from the fluidized bed reactor are recycled to the fluidized bed reactor in such a manner that the weight of solids circulated per hour is at least 5 times the weight of the solids contained in the fluidized bed reactor.