PRODUCTION OF IRON BY DIRECT REDUCTION - ATTEMPTS TO REPRODUCE ANTIQUE PROCESSING

Some ancient smelting furnaces of the Roman iron-working site of Les M artys (Aude, France) were renovated and used to again produce iron blo oms in conditions assumed similar to those of the Roman period. After a short description of the experimentation, the results of chemical an alysis and metallographic examinations of the materials produced (tap slags, slagged furnace structures, iron blooms...) are reported. Parts of elaborated iron blooms were forged to demonstrate their forging ca pability. The composition, nature and microstructure of the materials obtained from these experiments were compared, when possible, to those of similar Roman materials. This comparison leads to a better knowled ge and understanding of the Roman iron smelting processes. Furthermore , the present works permit to define more appropriate conditions for n ew improved experiments.