The present invention provides a method and apparatus for producing iron from an
iron ore, together with an option for the onward conversion of that iron into steel. The iron may come from an
iron ore in which the iron is present as at least one of the mineral and mineraloid forms of
iron oxide and
iron oxyhydroxide, such as
hematite and
limonite, as well as from red
bauxite. The invention may also be used to produce
elemental iron from other sources of
iron oxide, such as from
mill scale, whereby sources of waste
iron oxide may be recycled. The method comprises comminuting the
iron ore into fines, dehydrating the iron ore and dehydroxylating hydroxylated compounds in the ore. The ore thus treated is then reacted with an amount of liquid
sodium in excess of the stoichiometric amount thereof required for a
redox reaction between the liquid
sodium and iron
oxide(s) from the ore. This precipitates out from the liquid
sodium both
elemental iron and other insoluble products at least comprising
sodium oxide. The
redox reaction is conducted in an
inert atmosphere and its temperature is controlled to remain below about 450 °Celsius to inhibit the production of ternary oxides like Na4FeO3. The method then comprises separating the iron from the other insoluble products, for example using magnetic and / or density-based separation, and separating the iron and the other insoluble products as a
solid phase from the liquid sodium, in any order. Thus iron can be extracted from iron ore without producing any
greenhouse gas emissions, and
sodium oxide, which has a high affinity for
carbon dioxide, is produced as a co-product. Since the iron is produced as a finely divided particulate, it may subsequently be converted into steel using a
powder metallurgical technique with a considerable energy saving over prior art
steelmaking techniques. If the
sodium oxide is used to mineralize captured
carbon dioxide, the invention can have a negative
carbon footprint overall. If the iron ore comprises red
bauxite, the other insoluble products may also be processed to extract
alumina from them without creating environmentally hazardous
red mud. In some embodiments, the other insoluble products may be used to produce an alkaline activator for an alkaline activated or
geopolymer cement. The corresponding apparatus (3a) comprises a
comminution device (2) (such as a rock
crusher or grinder), a dryer (4) for dehydrating and dehydroxylating the iron ore, a gas-tight reaction vessel (130) for reacting the treated ore with the liquid sodium, a
solid-species separator (180a) for separating the iron from the other insoluble products and a
solid-liquid sodium phase separator (190a, 190b).