Pyrometallurgical processing of a particular minerals ore requires a range of different procedures and techniques to be utilized in order to achieve the desired level of concentration of metals contained in the ore. One such technique which can be used in the processing of a minerals ore is the smelting process, known as Reducing Iron Ore. Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore for the purpose of extracting the metals contained within the ore. This process is often used to create alloys from base metals, and allows for the extraction of more than one metal at a time.
In the smelting process, the ore is heated in an airless furnace at temperatures of around 1450°C. This allows for the removal of oxygen from the ore’s, resulting in a highly concentrated form of metallic ore which is known as pig iron. This highly concentrated form of the ore allows for the extraction of additional metals, such as those commercially valuable, which are then further worked and refined.
The steps taken in reducing iron ore involve the pre-treatment of the ore. This includes crushing and grinding so that the ore’s particles are finely divided into small particles. The ore is then mixed with a fine powder known as flux. This flux enables the impurities contained within the ore to be mixed amongst the newly created fine particles. The ore particles and flux are then heated together in a large smelting vessel such as a blast furnace. The blast furnace is filled with the ore and heated to temperatures of around 1600°C, forcing the oxygen contained in the ore to be released. As the oxygen is removed the particles in the ore bond with the flux and the contained metals are then reduced to a fine powder form known as raw pig iron. The metallic iron contained within the ore is then able to be extracted from the raw pig iron by manipulation of the temperature, resulting in a usable form of pig iron with a high iron content.
The raw pig iron is then taken to a steel mill and formed into steel products such as iron rods, rails, beams and sheets. Depending on the desired end product, additional components may be added to the steel during the rolling process such as molybdenum or carbon. The addition of these components strengthens the steel and provides additional useful characteristics.
Reducing iron ore is an important part of many pyrometallurgical processes which are used in the processing of minerals ore. It creates highly concentrated forms of iron ore which can then be further refined into usable steel products. It is a cost-effective and efficient way of extracting iron from the ore, producing both iron and steel products which are highly sought after in many industries around the world.
