How is iron turned into steel?

How is iron turned into steel?

To make steel, iron ore is first mined from the ground. It is then smelted in blast furnaces where the impurities are removed and carbon is added. In fact, a very simple definition of steel is “iron alloyed with carbon, usually less than 1%.”

What is the process for purifying iron into steel?

The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass production of steel from molten pig iron before the development of the open hearth furnace. The key principle is removal of impurities from the iron by oxidation with air being blown through the molten iron.

What is the process of purifying iron?

Iron, copper, and lead are fire-refined by selective oxidation. In this process, oxygen or air is added to the impure liquid metal; the impurities oxidize before the metal and are removed as an oxide slag or a volatile oxide gas.

Can iron be purified?

The iron found in iron ores are found in the form of iron oxides. As a result of these impurities, iron must be first separated from the gangue and then converted to pure iron. This is accomplished by the method of pyrometallurgy, a high temperature process.

Why is iron from a blast furnace purified before converting to steel?

Impurities in the iron from the Blast Furnace include carbon, sulphur, phosphorus and silicon. These have to be removed. Sulphur has to be removed first in a separate process. Magnesium powder is blown through the molten iron and the sulphur reacts with it to form magnesium sulphide.

How is metal purified?

Impure metals can be purified by electrolysis. In an electrolytic cell the anode is made from the crude metal needing to be purified, the cathode from the purified metal. The electrode potential is selected to ensure the very selective reduction of the metal at the cathode.

How is chemically pure iron made?

The production of iron from its ore involves an oxidation-reduction reaction carried out in a blast furnace. As a result of these impurities, iron must be first separated from the gangue and then converted to pure iron. This is accomplished by the method of pyrometallurgy, a high temperature process.

How is iron manufactured?

Manufacture of iron. Iron is produced by reduction of iron ore, which is often a mixture of oxides, using carbon, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen. While the blast furnace is the dominant reduction process other technologies are emerging which operate on a smaller scale.

Why is Coke added to the blast furnace?

Publisher Summary. Metallurgical coke, along with iron ore and limestone, is layered into a blast furnace to convert the iron ore to metallic iron. Coke, which is mostly carbon, reacts with the blast air to produce carbon monoxide, which, in turn, reacts with the iron oxide to produce carbon dioxide and metallic iron.

How is steel made from iron ore?

Iron ore, coking coal, and limestone are added into the top of the blast furnace while heated air is blown into the bottom of the furnace to drive the combustion process. The combustion of iron ore with other materials in the blast furnace produces molten pig iron, which is then converted to steel.

How is pig iron used to make steel?

The open-hearth furnace is one way to create steel from pig iron. The pig iron, limestone and iron ore go into an open-hearth furnace. It is heated to about 1,600 degrees F (871 degrees C). The limestone and ore form a slag that floats on the surface.

How much iron ore does it take to make one tonne?

According to BAML, around 1.5 tonnes of iron ore is required to produce one tonne of steel. In comparison to a blast furnace, an electric arc furnace predominantly uses scrap steel product, rather than iron ore, as the main ingredient. BAML explains:

What is cast iron made of?

Cast iron is made when pig iron is remelted in small cupola furnaces (similar to the blast furnace in design and operation) and poured into molds to make castings. It usually contains 2% to 6% carbon. Scrap iron or steel is often added to vary the composition.