How is steel formed

Once started, or "blown-in," the furnace operates continuously until the refractory lining needs renewal or until demand for iron drops to the point where the furnace is closed down. The duration of furnace operations from start to finish is referred to as a "campaign" and may last several years.

Iron ore and other iron bearing materials, coke and limestone are charged into the furnace from the top and work their way down, becoming hotter as they sink in the body of the furnace which is called the stack.

In the top half of the furnace, gas from burning coke removes a great deal of oxygen from the iron ore. About halfway down, limestone begins to react with impurities in the ore and the coke to form a slag. Ash from the coke is absorbed by the slag. In this step, the rough cast items are formed into shapes through a process called hot rolling. This get rid of defects in the shape and creates the desired quality of steel. This process can be used to make seamless tubing, long and flat products and a variety of bespoke items.

To create the final shape of the steel there are a number of secondary techniques that can be used, including:. That is the entire process by which steel is formed. If you are creating project out of steel and would like some professional advice about what technique to use or what type of steel to implement then contact us. We can take your design plans and turn them into the products you want to ensure the success of your project. Call us today for a free quote. The coke is cooled and screened into pieces ranging from one inch to four inches.

The coke is a porous, hard black rock of concentrated carbon contains 90 to 93 percent carbon , which has some ash and sulfur but compared to raw coal is very strong. The strong pieces of coke with a high energy value provide permeability, heat and gases which are required to reduce and melt the iron ore, pellets and sinter.

The first electric arc furnaces EAFs appeared in the late 19th Century. The EAF uses scrap steel and electricity to produce molten steel. The production of iron by humans started in around BC in south-west or south-central Asia.

This marked the beginning of the Iron Age which saw the widespread replacement of bronze with iron for tools and weapons. During this era, wrought iron was produced by blacksmiths who would heat the iron and hammer out impurities over an anvil. The resulting iron was tough but malleable. In the Middle Ages, a new type of iron was developed using higher temperatures. This was known as cast iron, which was harder than wrought iron but more brittle.

Iron formed the material basis of human civilization for over three thousand years until the mass production of steel in AD. Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It can contain small quantities of silicon, phosphorus, sulfur and oxygen.

The carbon content of steel is between 0. This makes it harder than wrought iron but not as brittle as cast iron. Steel has a unique balance of hardness, flexibility and tensile strength. At the same time it resists shock and tension better than the more brittle cast iron. To make steel, iron ore is heated and melted in furnaces where the impurities are removed and carbon added.