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Which raw materials are used in primary steelmaking?
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steel
Molten steel being poured into a ladle from an electric arc furnace, 1940s.
The primary raw materials used in steelmaking are categorized based on the specific process employed, such as basic oxygen, open hearth, or electric arc steelmaking. The three major iron-bearing materials are:1
- Blast-furnace iron: Liquid iron produced in a blast furnace, which typically contains carbon, silicon, manganese, phosphorus, and sulfur.12
- Steel scrap: Recycled metallic iron that may contain varying levels of residual elements like copper, tin, and chromium.13
- Direct-reduced iron (DRI): Iron ore that has been reduced to a solid state using carbon monoxide and hydrogen.1
In addition to these iron sources, other materials are essential to the process:
- Fluxes: Substances such as limestone, dolomite, and silica are added during smelting to promote fluidity and remove impurities by forming slag.54
- Coke: A carbon-rich solid residue used primarily in blast furnaces to smelt iron ore.5
The specific charge composition depends on the furnace type; for instance, basic oxygen processes typically use a mixture of liquid iron and scrap to manage heat generated by oxidation reactions.12