What does pig iron mean?

What does pig iron mean?

Pig iron, also known as crude iron, is an intermediate product of the iron industry in the production of steel which is obtained by smelting iron ore in a blast furnace. When the metal had cooled and hardened, the smaller ingots (the “pigs”) were simply broken from the runner (the “sow”), hence the name “pig iron”.

What do they use pig iron for?

iron steel making
Pig iron is a solid form of hot metal, obtained from iron ore or scrap recycling, and it is processed with blast furnace or electric arc furnace. Pig iron is used as a raw material for iron steel making and most of this material was imported.

What is pig iron Why is it so named?

The iron produced is called “pig iron” because originally the molten iron was poured into sand pits and the resulting solid iron resembled a pig! Another story is that the system looked like piglets feeding from a sow.

What is pig iron and what is its main property?

Pig iron is also known as crude iron. It is obtained from a smelting furnace in the form of oblong blocks and has a very high carbon content of 3.5 – 4.5 as it contains 90% of iron. It is produced by smelting iron ore with high-carbon fuel and reductant such as, coke usually with limestone which serves flux.

Why is pig iron not useful?

Pig iron has a very high carbon content, typically 3.8–4.7%, along with silica and other constituents of dross, which makes it very brittle and not useful directly as a material except for limited applications.

What is the difference between pig iron and wrought iron?

Pig iron and wrought iron are two forms of iron that are categorized based on purity. The key difference between pig iron and wrought iron is that pig iron is the impure form of iron, whereas wrought iron is the purest form of iron.

What does the saying sweating like a pig mean?

As the iron cools, the surrounding air reaches its dew point, and beads of moisture form on the surface of the “pigs”. “Sweating like a pig” indicates that the “pig” (ie iron) has cooled enough to be safely handled. And that’s a “pig” you wouldn’t want to eat.

How is pig iron converted into steel?

Basic oxygen steelmaking is a method of primary steelmaking in which carbon-rich molten pig iron (the iron created in the blast furnace) is made into steel. Blowing oxygen through molten pig iron lowers the carbon content of the alloy and changes it into low-carbon steel.

How is pig iron turned into steel?

Iron ore, coking coal, and limestone are added into the top of the blast furnace while heated air is blown into the bottom of the furnace to drive the combustion process. The combustion of iron ore with other materials in the blast furnace produces molten pig iron, which is then converted to steel.

How do you make pig iron?

Pig iron is produced by smelting or iron ore in blast furnaces or by smelting ilmenite in electric furnaces. Pig iron is supplied in a variety of ingot sizes and weights, ranging from 3 kg up to more than 50 kg. The vast majority of pig iron is produced and consumed within integrated steel mill complexes.

Which is better cast iron or pig iron?

(A) Cast iron is purest form of iron while pig iron is impure. (B) Cast iron has lower carbon content (3%) as compared to pig iron (4%) and is extremely hard and brittle. (C) Pig iron contains many impurities like S, P, Si and Mn while cast iron does not contain any impurity and can be cast into any shape.

What is the difference between pig iron and steel?

Pig iron is an intermediate product that can be made into wrought iron or steel. The difference between pig iron and steel is more carbon in pig iron than will be in steel. It’s got about 4% carbon and very brittle.

What is the difference between pig iron and cast iron?

Pig iron and cast iron have higher carbon content than wrought iron, but have a lower melting point than iron or steel. Cast and especially pig iron have excess slag which must be at least partially removed to produce quality wrought iron.

What can pig iron be used for?

Features and Uses of Pig Iron. Pig iron is the metallic ore that contains 90% of iron. Pig iron is used for making steel and pure iron units. It has very high carbon content along with silica and another constituent of dross.

Is pig iron and cast iron the same?

Pig iron and cast iron are different types of metal. Pig iron is an unrefined product that has been converted from iron ore, one step in the process to create steel. Cast iron is then derived from pig iron that has been remelted, along with scrap iron and scrap steel.