Pig Iron

Pig Iron

Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. It is the molten iron from the blast furnace, which is a large and cylinder-shaped furnace charged with iron ore, coke, and limestone. Charcoal andanthracite have also been used as fuel. Pig iron has a very high carbon content, typically 3.5–4.5%,[1] along with silica and other constituents of dross, which makes it very brittle and not useful directly as a material except for limited applications.

The traditional shape of the molds used for pig iron ingots was a branching structure formed in sand, with many individual ingots at right angles to a central channel or runner. Such a configuration resembles a litter of piglets being suckled by a sow. When the metal had cooled and hardened, the smaller ingots (the pigs) were simply broken from the much thinner runner (the sow), hence the name pig iron. As pig iron is intended for remelting, the uneven size of the ingots and the inclusion of small amounts of sand caused only insignificant problems considering the ease of casting and handling them.

Pooled Iron

Excess or off-chemistry hot metal from the blast furnace is collected and allowed to cool and solidify in pre-formed pits. This is known as Pool Iron. This Industrial By-Products has no regular shape. It is subsequently broken into smaller pieces and sold in the market.

Tata Steel offers Pool Iron that has high Fe content. It is available in three categories - Pool Iron Prime, Pool Iron Chunks and Mixed Pool Iron. Typical applications of Pool Iron include Ingot industry, Mild steel castings and hot metal industry, Medium and light house hold steel goods industry.