direct-reduced iron

Direct-reduced iron (DRI) is a method of extracting iron from ore at temperatures below the melting point of the materials involved. This process, also known as direct reduction, is an alternative to the more common blast furnace method, with less than 5 percent of iron produced this way.1

DRI is produced using processes often reliant on inexpensive natural gas. In some methods, ore, coal, and recycled materials are heated in a rotating kiln. More successful processes use shaft furnaces where gases like carbon monoxide and hydrogen chemically reduce iron pellets at around 850° C (1,550° F).1

The resulting DRI product retains gangue, which must be removed later in steelmaking. Therefore, only high-grade ores and superconcentrates are suitable for DRI production. DRI is a major iron-bearing raw material for steelmaking, alongside blast-furnace iron and steel scrap.12