The rotary kilns maximum temperature ranges between 1,230 and 1,260 °C, which significantly exceeds the 1,000 to 1,050 °C threshold for iron oxide reduction. The main objective is to achieve a paste-like consistency of the ore gangue. The reduced iron agglomerates into 3 to 8 mm metal nodules called . If the infusibility of the gangue is high, the temperature must be increased, up to 1,400 °C for a basic charge. It is crucial to control the gangues hot viscosity. Among rotary drum direct reduction processes, it stands out for using high temperatures.
Another distinctive attribute of the procedure involves introducing powdered coal to the furnace outlet. Furthermore, the process has evolved to enable terminating the supply of coal and running exclusively on the coal dust or coke dust introduced with the ore. In this situation, solely combustion air is injected at the furnace outlet. Thermal efficiency is improved in shaft furnaces such as blast furnaces compared to rotary furnaces due to the air absorbing some of the Luppen heat. However, the oxygen in the air partially re-oxidizes the product, meaning that the Luppen is still altered by contact with air at the end or after leaving the furnace, despite complete reduction of iron in the furnace.
The hot assembly is discharged from the furnace and then rapidly cooled and crushed. The iron is separated from the slag via magnetic separation. Magnetically intermediate fines make up 5–15% of the charge. While partial melting of the charge leads to the increased density of the prereducts, it also requires significant energy consumption.