Solid-phase pre-reduction of iron as a basis of non-waste technologies of processing complex ores and industrial waste

Based on the theory of electronic reduction developed by the authors technological schemes and a set of equipment are proposed for non-waste technology of processing complex iron ores and industrial waste. Reduction appears as a physical process of the electronic exchange between the reducing agent and metal cations in oxides. Isolation of the metallic phase takes place at a high rate even inside ore lumps surrounded by oxygen ions without direct contact of metal and reducing agent and without melting ore and metal. The result of the solid-phase reduction at a relatively low temperature using common power coal as reducing agent is a metal-oxide composite containing pure iron and a concentrate of unreduced metal oxides undiluted with slag-forming additives. The use of the proposed technology solves not only the problem of producing iron from complex ores, but also their non-waste processing with the extraction of valuable components. The oxide phase in the metal-oxide composite resulting from the reduction of siderite iron ore and ilmenite consists mainly from refractory magnesium or titanium oxides. Processing of anthropogenic waste on micrometallurgical plants by the proposed scheme allows to completely dispose of wastes and mud to produce commercial products.