Ironmaking blast-furnace process

Ironmaking refers to those processes which reduce iron oxides to iron. By the nature of the processes, the iron produced usually contains carbon and/or other impurities which are removed in downstream processing. There are three principal categories of ironmaking processes, in order of commercial importance blast furnace, direct reduction, and direct smelting. 

Blast Furnace. The blast furnace is the predominant method for making iron. Estabhshed for centuries as the premier ironmaking process, blast furnace ironmaking both enabled and profited from the Industrial Revolution. Although the fundamental principles of operation are unchanged, the blast furnace has evolved into a highly efficient and productive process. 

HyL [Hojalata y Lamina] A direct reduction ironmaking process in which pellets or lumps of ore are reduced in a batch reactor using a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Used in countries which have natural gas and cannot afford to invest in blast furnaces. Developed in the 1950s in Mexico by the Hojalata y Lamina Steel Company (now Hylsa) and the MW Kellogg Company, and now operated in nine other countries too. See DR. 

ITmk3 [mark 3 indicates that this is a third generation ironmaking process, marks one and two being the blast furnace and direct reduction] A modification of the Fastmet process, for making molten iron. Pelleted iron ore fines are reduced with a solid reductant. The iron in the reduced pellets separates as molten metal, uncontaminated by gangue. Developed in 1996 by Midrex Corporation and Kobe Steel. Commercialization is expected in 2003. 

Ironmaking processes, 14 498-521 blast furnace, 14 498-509 direct reduction, 14 509-520 direct smelting, 14 520-521 Iron-manganese-silicon steels, 22 712 Iron melting channel melting furnaces, 12 316... 

J. Fang and S.J. Hao, Process and Theory of Non-blast Furnace Ironmaking (Beijing, Metallurgical Industry Press, 2002), 146-176. 

T. Jiang et al,"Composite agglomeration process (CAP) for preparing blast furnace burden". Ironmaking Steelmaking, 37(1X2010),1-7. 

In this section we shall present a brief description of gas-solid contacting in kilns, moving beds, cyclones, and transfer line reactors. A substantial number of gas-solid reactions are carried out in equipment of this type, such as ironmaking in the blast furnace (moving bed), the manufacture of cement (kilns), and certain direct reduction processes of iron oxide (kilns or moving beds). 

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