Steel is used in many different sectors and applications because of its reputation for being strong and lightweight. Steel is one of the most prevalent elements found in goods we use on a daily basis, second only to plastic and paper.
Steel is utilised in the construction sector to create strong buildings and other constructions. Steel is also used in manufacturing operations for items like automobiles, aircraft, and household appliances. Finally, steel is essential to communication since it is utilised to build mobile phone towers and transmission systems.
Well, in this reading, we’ll explain how steel is produced, a diagram, and six steps of the steel manufacturing process.
Let’s begin!
How Steel Is Made Of?
The two main processes used to create steel are blast furnaces and electric arc furnaces.
The initial stage in making steel from iron oxides is the blast furnace. One tonne was produced daily by the earliest blast furnaces, which first emerged in the fourteenth century. The blast furnace’s internal operations don’t change, despite the fact that upgraded machinery and increased output rates are possible. Pig iron is made in a blast furnace using coke, iron ore and limestone.
Historically, coal has played a significant role in the production of coke. After being crushed and pounded into a powder, the coal is put into an oven and heated to around 1800°F without the presence of oxygen. The coal starts to melt as the oven heats up, removing the majority of the volatile materials such as tar, oil, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulphur.
After 18 to 24 hours of reaction time, the cooked coal, known as coke, is taken out of the furnace. After cooling, the coke is screened into one- to four-inch pieces. Although it contains some ash and sulphur, coke is a hard, porous black rock with concentrated carbon (90–93 percent), making it stronger than raw coal.
In order to reduce and melt the iron ore, pellets, and sinter, permeability, heat, and gases are provided by the robust, high-energy coke pieces. In order to lower carbon emissions, natural gas is now being introduced to blast furnaces in an equal amount in place of coke.
The late 19th century saw the introduction of the first electric arc furnaces (EAFs). More than 70% of the steel produced in the US now comes from the growing usage of EAFs. The EAF differs from a blast furnace in that it creates molten steel by melting scrap steel, direct reduction iron, and/or pig iron with an electrical current.
Diagram
6 Steps Of Steel Manufacturing Process
There are six basic steps in steel-making processes, which are as follows:
Iron-making
This is the initial stage in producing pure steel. This phase involves melting raw materials such iron ore, coal, and lime in a blast furnace. The resulting molten iron, commonly referred to as hot metal, is brittle because it still contains 4–4.5% carbon and other impurities, which must be eliminated later.
Primary Steel Making
Using either the BOS or EAF methods, the remaining impurities are eliminated. In the BOS method, recycled or scrapped steel is added to molten iron in a convertor, where oxygen is blown through the metal at high temperatures, reducing the carbon content to approximately 0-1.5%.
In the EAF method, scrap steel is fed through high-power electric arcs to melt the metal and transform it into high-quality steel. The steel that is left over at the end of this step, whether using either method, is referred to as raw steel.
Secondary Steel Making
There are several varieties of ordinary steel, just as there are various stainless steel grades and families. The components that are still present in the metal after the production process is finished define the various grades.
To get the required grade, secondary steelmaking refines the steel’s composition. Various methods, including stirring and ladle injections, are used to accomplish this.
Casting
This is a part of steel making; that melted iron is poured into moulds to cool during the fourth stage of the steel-making process. A thin, hard shell forms as a result of this process, which also begins to fix the steel’s shape. Because of its malleability, the shell’s strands may be manipulated into thin strips, beams, wires, or flat sheets.
Primary Forging
In primary forming, the cut steel is formed into different shapes, generally by hot rolling, which eliminates the casting defects and gives a desirable shape and surface quality. Seamless tubing, long products, flat products and various other speciality products can be obtained by this process
Secondary Forging
The final step is the secondary forming process, which gives the steel its finished shape and properties. Various techniques can be applied at this stage, which involve
- Heat treatment (tempering)
- Joining (welding)
- Shaping (cold rolling)
- Coating (galvanising)
- Machining (drilling)
- Surface treatment (carburising)
At the completion of step 6, the steel is fully shaped, formed, and ready for use and processing in various applications.
FAQs
How is steel produced step by step?
Modern steelmaking consists of three steps: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary steelmaking involves smelting iron into steel. Secondary steelmaking involves adding or removing other elements, such as alloying agents and dissolved gases. Tertiary steelmaking casts molten metal into sheets, rolls or other forms.
What is the method of production of steel?
Steel is primarily produced using one of two methods: Blast Furnace or Electric Arc Furnace. The blast furnace is the first step in producing steel from iron oxides. The first blast furnaces appeared in the 14th century and produced one ton per day.
What is the process of forming steel?
There are a number of steel-forming processes—including forging, pressing, piercing, drawing, and extruding—but by far the most important one is rolling.
What are the raw materials for steel?
For the production of steel, there is a need for iron raw material in the form of iron ore or scrap metal, together with alloying elements, so that the material acquires the desired for properties. In the production of ore-based steel, coal is also needed as a reducing agent and limestone as a slag.