Iron carbide manufacturing method

Abstract

This disclosure discloses a technique for achieving a cementitious ratio in iron carbide equal to or greater than a target value when reduced iron is obtained by a direct reduction process using a shaft furnace and then carbonized to obtain iron carbide. The method for producing iron carbide disclosed herein includes a reduction step in which an iron oxide raw material is reduced with a reducing gas to obtain reduced iron, and a carbonization step in which the reduced iron is carbonized with a carbonizing gas while being cooled to obtain iron carbide. The reduction step is carried out in a shaft furnace. In the carbonization step, the carbonizing gas contains 70% by volume or more of methane gas, the reduced iron is carbonized to a target cementitious ratio or greater, and the relationships Y≧0.24X−0.31 and X≧3 (Y: elapsed time (minutes) for the reduced iron to cool from 800°C to 700°C, X: the target cementitious ratio (%)) are satisfied.

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