Iran-Made Iron Ore Reduction Furnace Almost Eliminates Water, Gas Consumption

“We have patented an iron ore reduction furnace for the first time in the world, which has no foreign or domestic rivals,” Mohammad Saleh Ebrahimi, a young inventor and managing director of the technological company stationed at the Steel Innovation Center of the Islamic Azad University’s Sirjan branch, told ANA.

“In the iron ore reduction furnace, we have completely eliminated gas and water consumption by 95%, and the furnace consumes only electricity at a very low rate,” he added.

Noting that the analysis of the iron ore output as a product of this furnace is about 97%, “Ebrahimi said, “This iron ore (sponge iron or reduced iron) is the same iron ore that is extracted from the mine in the form of concentrate and then converted into pellets or briquettes. Then the pellets or briquettes of oxide are taken to the furnaces and after reduction, it is converted into sponge iron.”

“Reduction means deoxygenation. Iron ore or rock extracted from a mine is combined with oxygen. Inside the iron ore reduction furnace, we separate the oxygen from the iron and the iron ore is reduced. The reduced iron ore, or sponge iron, is the raw material product of steel factories,” he added.

In a relevant development in 2024, an Iranian knowledge-based company had also produced direct reduced iron (DRI) nanocatalysts for Phase II of Baft Sponge Iron Production Plant in Kerman which has been put into operation.

Phase I of the Baft Sponge Iron Production Plant as the most complete sponge iron production unit working with Iranian technology was put into operation back in 2019.

According to a report by the Iran Nanotechnology Innovation Council (INIC), phase II of the plant recently became operational with locally-produced direct reduced iron (DRI) nanocatalysts produced by a knowledge-based company.

This knowledge-based company is one of the largest nanotechnology companies and one of the leading producers of advanced industrial nanocatalysts such as active zinc oxide and desulfurization sorbents in the Middle East region, which has produced and delivered more than 5,000 tons of desulfurization sorbents for its customers in various industries including steel, refining, and petrochemical factories.

This Nanotech company, with the development of the knowhow of recovering base metals from used catalysts has not only been awarded for the best design at the highly presetigous Kharazmi International Festival, but it has a production line of nickel ingots and the recovery of other base metals among its other production lines. It has produced a large part of its needs for various base metals used in catalysts.

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