text: Depending on the ore and plant size, a furnace can daily output 250 to 800 tons of pre-reduced iron ore. The biggest furnaces, up to 5 meters in diameter and 110 meters long, can process 950 to 1,000 tons of ore daily, excluding fuel. A properly operated plant typically runs for around 300 days per year. The internal refractory typically lasts 7 to 8 months in the most exposed part of the furnace and for 2 years elsewhere. In 1960, a Krupp-Renn furnace using low-grade ore yielded 100 kilotons of iron annually, while a contemporaneous modern blast furnace produced ten times as much cast iron.
  Direct reduction processes employing rotary furnaces frequently face a significant challenge due to the localized formation of iron and slag rings, which sinter together and gradually obstruct the furnace. Understanding the mechanism of lining formation is a complex process involving mineralogy, chemical reactions, and ore preparation. The formation of the lining ring, which progressively grows and poisons the furnace, is caused by a few elements in minute quantities. To remedy this, increasing the supply of combustion air or interrupting the furnace charging process are effective solutions. Otherwise, it may be necessary to adjust the grain size of the charged ore or the chemical composition of the mineral blend.
  In 1958, Krupp constructed a plant that could generate 420,000 tons per year of pre-reduced iron ore (consisting of six furnaces) which had an estimated value of 90 million Deutsche Mark, or 21.4 million dollars. By contrast, the plant erected in Salzgitter-Watenstedt in 1956–1957, which was well-integrated with an existing steelworks, only cost 33 million Deutsche Mark. At that time, a Krupp-Renn plant presented itself as a feasible substitute to the established blast furnace process, considering its investment and operating costs: initial investment cost per ton produced was nearly half and operating costs were roughly two and a half times greater.
  The slag, a glassy silica, can be effortlessly employed as an additive for constructing road surfaces or concrete. However, the method does not produce a recoverable gas similar to blast furnace gas, decreasing its profitability in most cases. Nevertheless, it also solves the issue regarding gas recovery.