ABSTRACT
The role of oxygen combustion in reduction processes is described in Sections 21.2 and 21.3, and in re-melting processes in Section 21.4.
The blast furnace converts iron ore into a carbonsaturated liquid iron (hot metal) as a feedstock for steelmaking. As shown schematically in Figure 21.1,
iron ore, metallurgical coke, and flux (the “burden”) are added in layers at the top of the furnace. Energy and the reducing gas for the process are generated by the combustion of fuels with heated, oxygen-enriched air injected through tuyeres at the bottom of the furnace. The metallurgical coke is the primary fuel, and secondary fuels are injected at the tuyeres with the oxygenenriched blast.
