TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS FOR FIRST MELTING IRON

Extractive metallurgy: Production of iron and steel

Years ago, iron was a rare and precious metal. Steel, a purified form of iron ore, has become one

of the most useful metals to mankind Nature provides the raw materials such as: mineral

iron, coal and limestone and humankind made it countless products

Steel can be hard enough to cut glass, foldable as it is in the clipboard, flexible as the docks, or strong enough to support a united effort of 3445 MPa.

It is also possible to make the steel resistant toheat, cold, oxidation and the action of chemicals.

Manufacturing cast iron (first cast iron)

The first step in making any iron or steel is the production of pig iron and first cast iron, in the blast furnace. Once lit, the blast furnace is of continuous production, until you need to

renew brick layer or when there’s decrease on demand for pig iron. Iron ore, coke and limestone are measured carefully and transported

to the top of the furnace shell in a van. Each ingredient is downloaded separately into the

furnace through bell system, forming layers of coke, limestone and iron ore in the furnace top.

A continuous stream of hot air, which comes from stoves whose temperatures are 650 ° C passes through the poker tube and nozzles to make coke burn vigorously.

Manufacturing cast iron (first cast iron)

Coke carbon is combined with atmospheric oxygen to form carbon monoxide, whereby the oxygen containing iron ore is removed and the metallic iron is released. This cast, is drained by the load and collected at the bottom of the oven.

The intense heat also melted the limestone, which combined with the impurities in the ore and coke form a cream called slag. This also is cast to the bottom of the load and floating on the molten pig iron.

Manufacturing cast iron (first cast iron)

Sometimes pig iron is cast directly into short bars that are used in the foundries to make iron castings.

The slag is removed at more frequent intervals and poured into a trolley for slag or ladle and finally used to manufacture mineral wool insulation, conglomerates and other products.

Main minerals extracted from iron

Hematite (red ore) 70% iron Magnetite (black ore) 72.4% iron Siderite (mena poor Brown) 48.3% iron Limonite (mena Brown) 60-65% iron

For the production of iron and steel are required four key elements:1. Iron ore2. Coke3. Limestone4. Air

Production of Iron and Steel

Extraction of iron ore Ore Transportation

Prep of Mineral:WashingCrushingScreening

Coke exploitation Ore TransportationPrep of Mineral:

RefiningHeating

Limestone Mining Ore TransportationPrep of Mineral:

WashingCrushingScreening

Blast furnace Slug and Pig Iron

Air

Process of flow-chart

The first three are extracted from mines and transported and prepared before being produced in pig iron.

The pig iron is low quality, carbon content is not controlled and the amount of sulfur exceeds the minimum allowed in the commercial irons. However, from here is where all commercial irons come from.

A limestone, coke and iron ore are prepared before entering the blast furnace to have the quality, size and the right temperature, this is achieved through washing, crushing and screening of the three materials.