Steel Making Process
Steel is an alloy of iron usually containing less than 1.5% carbon . Steel can be cast into bars, strips, sheets, nails, spikes, wire, rods or pipes as needed by the intended user. Steel making process at an integrated steel plant involves three basic steps . First, the heat source used to melt iron ore is produced. Next the iron ore is melted in a furnace. Finally, the molten iron is processed to produce steel . The fuel source is often purchased from off-site producers. Steel is made by the Bessemer, Siemens Open Hearth, Basic Oxygen Furnace, Electric Arc, Electric High-frequency and Crucible processes. In the former steel making process, molten pig iron is refined by blowing air through it in an egg-shaped vessel, known as a converter . In the Siemens process, both acid and basic, the necessary heat for melting and working the charge is supplied by oil or gas . Coke is a solid carb...