All raw materials:

All raw materials are stored up in an ore field and before charging transferred to the stockhouse. Once these materials are charged into the furnace top, they go through many and physical and chemical reactions when descending to the bottom of the furnace.

The iron ore sinter and pellets are dropped which simply means the oxygen in the iron oxides is eliminated by a series of chemical reactions. These reactions take place as follows :

 (1)  3 Fe₂O₃ + CO = CO₂ + 2 Fe₃O₄      start at 850° F

(2)  Fe₃O₄ + CO = CO₂ + 3 Fe O           start at 1100° F

(3)  FeO + CO = CO₂ + Fe

         or

     FeO + C = CO + Fe  start at 1300° F

At the similar time the iron oxide is going by these purifying reactions, it starts to soften then melt and at last trickle as liquid iron by the coke to the bottom of the furnace.

The coke descends to bottom of the furnace to the level where the preheated air or warm blast enters the blast furnace. The coke is ignited through this hot blast and instantly reacts to generate heat as follows:

           C + O₂ = CO₂ + Heat

As the reaction occurs in the presence of excess carbon at a high temperature the carbon dioxide is decreased to carbon monoxide as follows:

              CO₂ + C = 2CO

The outcome of this reaction, carbon monoxide, is essential to decrease the iron ore as seen in the earlier iron oxide reactions.

In the blast furnace the limestone descends and remains a solid when going through its first reaction as follows:

            CaCO₃ = CaO + CO₂

This reaction needs energy and starts at approximates 1600°F. The CaO produced from this reaction is utilized to eliminate sulphur from the iron which is essential before the hot metal becomes steel. This sulphur eliminating reaction is :

           FeS + CaO + C = CaS + Fe + CO