US Patent 8012237 Process for producing molten iron

A process for producing molten iron is a process in which while an inert gas is blown into a molten iron layer in an iron bath type melting furnace through bottom-blown tuyeres provided in a hearth bottom thereof to stir the molten iron layer, a carbon material, an additive flux, and solid reduced iron obtained by heating reduction of carbon composite iron oxide briquettes are charged into the above melting furnace, and top blowing of an oxygen-containing gas is performed through a top-blown lance provided for the melting furnace, so that the solid reduced iron is melted by combustion heat obtained by combusting the carbon material and/or carbon in molten iron to form molten iron.