METHOD AND FURNACE FOR MAKING SPONGY IRON

A method of making spongy iron comprises the agglomeration of the initial raw material and its subsequent reduction at a high temperature. The agglomeration comprises moistening the initial raw material and its heating up to a temperature above the Curie point, both the moistening and heating being carried out in the permanent magnetic field with the vertical orientation of its magnetic force lines. A furnace for making spongy iron from the initial raw material comprises a chamber (1) divided into a heating zone (2), an oxidization chamber (3) and a reduction zone (4), a transportation means (5) located inside said chamber (1) and passing along it; a tube for feeding the gas into the reduction zone (4) mounted inside the said chamber (1), a metering means (7) the discharging part (8) of which is located above the transportation means (5) at the inlet of the said chamber (1). The furnace is further provided with an electromagnet (9), the magnetic circuit of which embraces the discharging part (8) of the said metering means (7) and the heating zone (2) so that its upper and lower pole shoes (10, 11) form a magnetic field with vertically oriented magnetic force lines. The furnace comprises also a reflector (12) made of a non-magnetic material and located between the said upper pole shoe (10) and the discharging part (8) of the said metering means (7) in parallell to the said upper pole shoe (10). Un procede de fabrication d'eponge de fer consiste a agglomerer le materiau brut initial et a effectuer ensuite sa reduction a une temperature elevee. L'agglomeration comprend l'humidification du materiau brut initial et son chauffage jusqu'a une temperature superieure au point de Curie, l'humidification et le chauffage s'effectuant tous deux dans le champ magnetique permanent avec orientation verticale de ses lignes de force magnetique. Un four de fabrication d'eponge de fer a partir du materiau brut initial comprend une chambre (1) divisee en une zone de chauffage (2), une chambre d'oxydation (3) et une zone de reduction (4), des moyens de transport (5) situes a l'interieur de cette chambre (1) et passant le long de celle-ci; un tube d'alimentation en gaz de la zone de reduction (4) monte a l'interieur de la chambre (1), des moyens de dosage (7) dont la partie de decharge (8) est situee au-dessus des moyens de transport (5) a l'entree de la chambre (1). Le four est egalement pourvu d'un electro-aimant (9) dont le circuit magnetique entoure la partie de decharge (8)