In the iron making process, iron ore is combined with coke, lime, and water and then heated in a blast furnace. The result is molten iron. This metal contains 4% - 4.5% impurities, which are what makes it brittle. Smelting it is an important part of making steel.
The SIMETALCIS VAiron iron making process combines advanced sintering technology with a highly automated production control system. It is ideal for plants with a variety of interacting components such as a raw materials yard and coke oven. VAiron can monitor and optimize the entire process, from the raw materials to the finished product, reducing energy use and emissions.
The VAiron expert system keeps track of the different quality parameters at various points in the iron making process. It can detect the level of basicity of the slag, which determines the quality of the resulting metal. It can also detect changes in hot metal temperatures and suggest corrective actions in time.
Unlike the traditional blast furnace, the direct reduction iron making process is environmentally friendly. In this method, iron ore pellets go into a furnace that reduces it to almost carbon-free iron. The temperature at which this reaction occurs is below the melting point of iron, resulting in low CO2 emissions. Natural gas or coal is used to produce reducing gases, a mixture of CO2 and H2. Sponge iron produced from this process is then upgraded with additional processing.
Using the traditional blast furnace process requires high temperatures to transform iron ore into steel. The energy and heat needed for these processes is sourced from fossil fuels (mostly coal). CO2 emissions from the iron making process average around 1.85 tonnes per tonne of steel produced.
The investment cost of iron making processes varies widely. A comprehensive study of the capital costs associated with producing steel and iron has been conducted. The report, published in November 2010, examines the typical capital costs of various processes. For example, it discusses the cost of direct reduction plants, blast furnaces, and coal washing facilities.
The modern iron and steel making industry has evolved rapidly over the last 40 years. The elimination of basic open hearth processing, wide-scale adoption of continuous casting, and shifting of long product production to the electric arc furnace sector have dramatically altered the industry. These changes in the process have reshaped the way steel is made, affecting price and quality, and expanding the range of products. The changes are not limited to the US; other industrialized countries are also experiencing changes in their iron and steel industries.
There are several steps in the process of iron making. In order to guarantee the quality of the final product, it is vital to perform quality control measures. First, determine which types of byproducts need to be removed. Then, establish how often they need to be tested. This will help ensure that they are free of unwanted elements.
Slag compositional analysis can be achieved using energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF). This method can be used during production, as well as after the iron-making process. Traditionally, EDXRF has been used to analyze slags in pellet form. However, today's handheld EDXRF systems can achieve benchtop-grade analytical accuracy and improve melt shop productivity.
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