US Patent Issued to Carbontec Energy on May 12 for "Process and system for the production of iron nuggets" (North Dakota, Minnesota Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 12 -- United States Patent no. 12,624,406, issued on May 12, was assigned to Carbontec Energy Corp. (Bismarck, N.D.).

"Process and system for the production of iron nuggets" was invented by John Simmons (Bismarck, N.D.) and Dale Hintsala (Nashwauk, Minn.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A hearth for a traveling hearth furnace for the production of pig iron grade nuggets, the hearth having a synthetic graphite material in direct contact with the process charge in producing a plurality of metallic iron nodules and slag. The process charge including iron containing oxide, a predetermined amount of a reductant and flux, which are carried into and through a reducing, melting and...