MANUFACTURE OF MOLTEN IRON CONTAINING CHROMIUM IN CUPOLA

PURPOSE:To manufacture molten iron contg. chromium in an economically advantageous manner without using electric energy by blending starting materials as iron sources to be charged into a cupola with a specified amount of half- reduced pellets of chrome ore, and carrying out reduction to chromium by conventional operation. CONSTITUTION:When chrome ore is reduced in a cupola, the ore is prereduced. For example, green balls of chrome ore contg. coke breeze as a solid reducing agent are formed, and the balls are dehydrated, dried, and charged into a rotary kiln heated by burning heavy oil or coal to reduce about 40-70% of chromium oxide in the ore to chromium. Starting materials as iron sources to be charged into a cupola are blended with