Now, nearly all new steel globally is produced using iron oxide and
coking coal. Coking coal is usually
bituminous-rank coal with
special qualities that are needed in the blast furnace. While an increasing
amount of steel is
being recycled, there is currently no technology to make steel at scale without using coal.
Around 0.6 tonnes (600 kg) of coke produces 1
tonne (1000 kg) of steel,
which means that around 770 kg of coal are used to produce 1 tonne of steel through this production
route. Basic Oxygen Furnaces currently produce about 74% of the world's steel.
In a blast furnace, fuel (coke),
ores, and flux (limestone) are continuously supplied through the top of
the furnace, while a
hot blast of air
(sometimes with oxygen enrichment) is blown into the lower section of the furnace through a series of pipes
called tuyeres, so that the chemical reactions take place throughout .
Norb
Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
No comments:
Post a Comment