Blast furnaces Sweden

Iron is extracted mainly from its oxides, haematite (Fe2Os) and magnetite (Fe304), in a blast furnace (Figures 10.12 and 10.13). These ores contain at least 60% iron. The iron ores used are a blend of those extracted in Australia, Canada, Sweden, Venezuela and Brazil. The blast furnace is a steel tower approximately 50 m high lined with heat-resistant bricks. It is loaded with the charge of iron ore (usually haematite), coke (made by heating coal) and limestone (calcium carbonate). 

Table 22 in Section 4.2.3.2 shows the importance of sintered ore for iron and steel making till today. However, iron ore concentrates from poorer ores became finer while, at the same time, higher quality requirements were imposed on blast furnace feeds. As discussed in Sections 4.2.1.3.2,4.2.1.4.2, and 4.2.3.2, this resulted in the development of balling and pelletizing in North America and Sweden, a technology that has quickly attained widespread acceptance throughout the world (see Section 4.2.3.2, Figure 352, and Table 22). More recently, the technology was adapted for other ores, too. ...

Figure 6.5.20 Contribution of indirect reduction on the coke consumption of a blast furnace [data from 1957 to 1960 from Germany, Sweden, and Japan (adapted from Heynert and Hedden, 1961), data for blast furnaces from 2004 to 2006 from www. expeditionvoestalpine.com/hochofen].

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