Jburk at 20:58, 17 December 2018

2018-12-17T20:58:40Z

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	The blast furnace must be pre-heated by burning an initial charge of fuel without any ore or flux.		The blast furnace must be pre-heated by burning an initial charge of fuel without any ore or flux.

	[[Category:~~Industry~~]]		[[Category:Mining and Refining]]

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A '''blast furnace''' is a type of furnace used in the production of [[cast iron]]. It can also be used as a step in the production of [[steel]]; see [[indirect reduction of steel]].

==History==
The blast furnace evolved naturally from earlier [[direct reduction of steel|direct reduction]] smelters. As the furnace was made taller in order to increase the temperature and yield, the carbon pick-up of the iron would increase to the point where it would form molten cast iron. This substance could not be forged (due to brittleness) but has a lower melting point than steel, allowing it to be cast into various shapes with the technology of the time.

==Principles of operation==
A blast furnace in its most basic form consists of a tall tube with several ''tuyeres'' (nozzles) through which air or oxygen is blown into the furnace. The furnace is loaded with layers of [[coke]] or [[charcoal]], [[iron ore]] and [[flux|fluxes]] such as [[dolomite]] or [[lime]]. As the fuel burns, [[carbon monoxide]] (and tiny amounts of hydrogen impurity) gas reduces the iron oxides in the ore and deposits additional carbon in it. This high-carbon alloy then melts and collects at the bottom of the furnace along with a layer of molten slag, which floats on top of it. The metal is removed by periodically breaking open a tap hole at the bottom of the furnace.

The blast furnace must be pre-heated by burning an initial charge of fuel without any ore or flux.

[[Category:Industry]]

Blast furnace - Revision history

Jburk at 20:58, 17 December 2018

ChristiaanK: Created page