How steel is made!  By Mr Damian Keenan

1. Steel is made from Iron and Carbon Iron comes from Iron Ore Iron Ore comes from the ground To get the Iron out of the Iron Ore rocks, we send it to a BLAST FURNACE

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Blast Furnace Iron ore is smelted, Iron ore, coke and limestone fed in at the top, Hot air is blown in through nozzles called tuyeres, As coke burns it produces heat and carbon monoxide gas, Carbon monoxide combines with oxygen in the ore leaving iron, The molten iron falls to the bottom, Limestone combines with earthy impurities to form a slag, Slag floats on top of iron because it is lighter, Slag is tapped off and used as fertiliser, Iron is tapped off and brought to the steel-making furnace,

4. Blast Furnace Material that goes in = Iron Ore + Coke + Limestone This is called the CHARGE

5. The Charge gets into the furnace by BELL Doors at the top of the furnace

6. What comes out? The Slag floats on top of the Pig Iron We can open different doors to let the Slag out first We then open another door to let the Pig Iron out.

Electric Arc Furnace Ø Used to produce high quality steels, Ø   Charge scrap metal, lime and mill scale or iron ore, Ø   Heat is generated by electric arcs between the carbon electrodes and the charge, Ø   Lime and mill scale combine with the unwanted elements, producing a slag, Ø   Time to time samples are taken to check composition, Ø   When correct slag is removed, Steel is then tapped off from the furnace,

Electric Arc Furnace Operations 1 2 3 4

Basic Oxygen Converter Major method of producing bulk steel, Scrap is placed in the furnace first, Molten pig iron poured in on top of it, Lime is added, A water-cooled lance blows oxygen into the furnace, The impurities become oxidised and forms a slag, The molten steel is now tapped off and cast into ingots, Slag is now poured out by turning the vessel upside down,

Carbon Content Dead Mild Steel Low carbon Steel (Mild Steel) Medium Carbon Steel High Carbon steel Cast Iron 0.05% - 0.15% 0.15% - 0.30% 0.3% - 0.6% 0.6% - 1.4% 1.4% - 4%

Where we use the steels quiz Dead Mild Steel Low Carbon Steel

Where we use the steels quiz Medium Carbon Steel High Carbon Steel

Where we use the steels quiz Cast Iron Alloy Steels