Metal Alloys and Iron Production Processes

Minerals and Alloy Fundamentals

Minerals: A usable part is formed by the metal and rich-looking material, named the ore, and another not usable part because it is very poor in metal, called the gangue (bargain).

Alloys: A product obtained from the union of two or more chemical elements which presents the characteristics of a metal. An alloy modifies its crystalline structure, increasing its hardness and mechanical resistance but lowering its conductivity.

Solidification of Alloys

• Area liquid phase: Liquidus line for liquid (it will always be liquid).
• Area solid + liquid phase: Contains a mass of solid and another of liquid.
• Solid-phase area: Below the solidus line (always a solid phase).

Classification of Metal Products

Shop-metal products:

• Ferrous metals: Iron, steel, and cast irons.
• Non-ferrous metals: Pure (copper, aluminum, lead) and alloys (brass, tin, etc.).

Iron and Its Alloys

There are many types of iron, but pure iron is an iron-carbon alloy when the content is below 0.03%, possessing magnetic properties.

Steel and Cast Iron Products

• Steel: An alloy of iron with a carbon content between 0.1% and 1.76%.
• Cast Iron: Carbon content varies between 1.76% and 6.67% and contains silicon. Types include white casting, gray casting, laminating, or nodular molding, spheroidal cast iron, or ductile iron.

Metal Shaping Techniques

1. Forging: Place the solid mass of hot metal between two halves of a mold or die and apply effort to ensure it adopts the desired form.
2. Casting (Molding): Enter the metal in the liquid phase inside a closed mold and turn it once solidified.

Iron and Steel Production Processes

Steel: Processes of obtaining cast iron and steel: Iron parts come from the most abundant metal in the terrestrial crust. It is found in different chemical compounds: oxides (hematite, magnetite), carbonates (siderite), and sulfides (pyrite). The minerals used in steel production are the oxide formats. Since the iron ore is oxidized, the process of obtaining iron requires separating the oxygen from the metal. This operation is called the reduction of the metal.

Phases of Production

Obtaining steel and foundries is a chemical process consisting of two phases:

1. The first begins with obtaining the blast furnace cast iron. This cast iron has a high carbon content and impurities to be removed in a second phase if you want to get steel.
2. The cast iron from the blast furnace is taken to other furnaces, such as the cupola furnace (cubilot), where it is processed to obtain the desired casting.

Obtaining Ferrous Cast

This is achieved through the blast furnace process.