Why does iron need to be converted into steel?

To make pure steel, iron and carbon are needed. On its own, iron is not very strong, but a low concentration of carbon – less than 1 percent, depending on the kind of steel, gives the steel its important properties. The carbon in steel is obtained from coal and the iron from iron ore.

How does a blast furnace make steel?

Hot air reaching 1200℃ is blown in from the bottom through tuyeres and chemically reacts with the materials as they fall to the bottom of the blast furnace. This process oxidizes the coke and reduces the sintered ore, creating molten iron. The molten iron is then further processed to make steel.

What is extraction of iron?

Iron is extracted from iron ore in a huge container called a blast furnace. Iron ores such as haematite contain iron(III) oxide, Fe 2O 3. The oxygen must be removed from the iron(III) oxide in order to leave the iron behind.

Who created the process of converting iron into steel?

Henry Bessemer, in full Sir Henry Bessemer, (born January 19, 1813, Charlton, Hertfordshire, England—died March 15, 1898, London), inventor and engineer who developed the first process for manufacturing steel inexpensively (1856), leading to the development of the Bessemer converter. He was knighted in 1879.

How does an iron blast furnace work?

The blast furnace is a huge, steel stack lined with refractory brick, where iron ore, coke and limestone are dumped into the top, and preheated air is blown into the bottom. The raw materials require 6 to 8 hours to descend to the bottom of the furnace where they become the final product of liquid slag and liquid iron.

How is iron ore converted into iron?

Iron is extracted from iron ore in a huge container called a blast furnace. Iron ores such as haematite contain iron(III) oxide, Fe 2O 3. In this reaction, the iron(III) oxide is reduced to iron, and the carbon is oxidised to carbon dioxide.

How is iron produced?

Iron is produced by reduction of iron ore, which is often a mixture of oxides, using carbon, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen. Most ores contain more than 60\% iron and are used in their mineral state in a blast furnace. Ore containing less than this is first crushed and ground into a powder and concentrated by flotation.

What is the purpose of iron ore in a blast furnace?

Coke, limestone flux, and iron ore (iron oxide) are charged into the top of the furnace in a precise filling order which helps control gas flow and the chemical reactions inside the furnace.

Why was the invention of steel important?

Steel was important to the second Industrial Revolution because it was a better material to use then iron. Steel is lighter, cheaper and stronger than iron, making it ideal for all sorts of purposes.

What is the process of making steel?

Steel is made from iron ore, a compound of iron, oxygen and other minerals that occurs in nature. The raw materials for steelmaking are mined and then transformed into steel using two different processes: the blast furnace/basic oxygen furnace route, and the electric arc furnace route.

What iron ore is used in the blast furnace?

This ore is either Hematite (Fe2O3) or Magnetite (Fe3O4) and the iron content ranges from 50\% to 70\%. This iron rich ore can be charged directly into a blast furnace without any further processing….The Process.

Iron (Fe)	= 93.5 – 95.0\%
Carbon (C)	= 4.1 – 4.4\%