Notes For 3rd Exam (Ferrous Metallurgy)

MET111 Introduction to Metallurgical Engineering
Ferrous Metallurgy
Sources: Process Metallurgy by Peter Hayes
Extractive Metallurgy by Joseph Newton
Handbook Extractive Metallurgy I by Habashi
 Ferrous Metallurgy is the iron component together with its alloys or alloying elements or impurities.
 Iron in nature is very soft, ductile but with the addition of Carbon, Nickel and some is Chromium, then can
develop a stronger Iron.
 Carbon + Iron = strong iron
 Nickel + Chromium + Iron = stainless steel (corrosion resistant)
 Iron Oxide or Rust
 Steel is a material composed primarily of iron. Most steel contains more than 90% iron. Many types of carbon
steel contain more than 90% iron. All types of steel contain a second element – which is carbon. Many other
alloying elements are used in most steel, but iron and carbon are the only elements found in all steel. The
percentage of carbon in steel ranges from just above 0% to approximately 2%. Most steel has between 0.15% and
1.0% carbon.
 Steel with less carbon is more flexible, ductile than high-carbon steel, but it is also weaker. As the carbon content
increases, so do strength, hardness, and brittleness.
 When steel is made, the iron dissolves the carbon. When there is too much carbon for the iron to "digest", the
resulting alloy is no longer called steel. The Carbon precipitates out and remains in the form of flakes or other
shapes. Approximately 2% carbon is the most that can be dissolved in the iron.
Indirect Reduction Process: BLAST FURNACE
Indirect Reduction Process

 The ore is heated above the melting point of iron
 Ex. Blast Furnace
Notes: Handbook Extractive Metallurgy I by Habashi
 Such a furnace is called blast furnace because of air introduced

 Processing takes place in the furnace are:
o Reduction of the iron compounds present in the ore
o Separation of the resulting iron from the slag
 Steel is the most important commercial form of iron because of its high tensile strength
 Blast Furnace Plant (Hot Metal) Hot-Metal Mixer  (Hot Metal) Steelmaking plant
 Raw Materials:
o Iron ores, like Hematite (Fe2O3) and Magnetite (Fe3O4), are the most important raw materials charged to
the blast furnace.
o Raw Materials are the following:
 Ore  Flux (Limestone or Sand)
 Coke  Air
o Products are the following:
 Pig Iron  Blas Furnace Gas
 Slag Flue Dust
o Typical Analysis of Coke:
 C  P  S
 SiO2  Al2O3  H2O
 Fe  CaO
 Mn  MgO
o Coke in the blast furnace has two functions:
 As a fuel producing the heat required for the reduction and melting the iron
 To supply the reducing agent (mainly CO)
o Coke must be high calorific value, high mechanical strength and low impurities.
o Coke burns intensively near the tuyeres, with 1700 deg. C in this region.
o Limestone
 The function of a limestone is to render the gangue in the ore and the ash of the coke, SiO 2 and
Al2O3, which have high melting points and easily fusible.
o Air
MET111 Introduction to Metallurgical Engineering
 Air has to be preheated to 500 – 1000 deg. C and compressed to 200 – 300 kPa to burn the
necessary amount of coke
 Air always contains a certain amount of moisture depending on the atmospheric humidity
 Products:
o Pig Iron
 Transferred molten as hot metal or molded in pig-machine
 Composition of pig iron
 C  S
 Si  P
 Mn  Fe
o Slag
 Two purposes:
 To collect the impurities in the molten metal
 To protect the metal from oxidation by the furnace atmosphere
o Gas
 Gas coming out of furnace top is more than that introduced at the bottom due to the gasification
of carbon
 A typical analysis:
 CO
 CO2
 N2
 H2
 (CN)2
 During the manufacture of Iron in the blast furnace, some hydrogen cyanide HCN, and cyanogen
gas (CN)2 are formed as a result of the reaction of nitrogen in the blast with coke. These gases are
extremely poisonous.
o Flue Dust
 This is composed of about 15% carbonaceous material, 15% gangue and 70% Fe 3O4

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MET111 Introduction to Metallurgical Engineering

Indirect Reduction Process: BLAST FURNACE

Indirect Reduction Process

Notes: Handbook Extractive Metallurgy I by Habashi

 Such a furnace is called blast furnace because of air introduced

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