What is the purpose of coke in a blast furnace?
Blast furnace ironmaking makes use of coke as the major source for both energy and reduction of iron oxides. In the blast furnace process, coke has multifunctions and plays an important role as reductant, burden support, and fuel.
Why do we use coke not coal for making iron?
Coke is made by heating the coal beforehand, so that all these changes happen before it is added to the blast furnace. The resulting coke is mechanically strong up to very high temperature, and does not clog the furnace. It also burns hotter. Iron is best made in a tall shaft furnace called blast furnace.
Why are coke and limestone added to the blast furnace?
Raw materials for the reaction
| Raw material | Contains | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Limestone | Calcium carbonate | Helps to remove acidic impurities from the iron by reacting with them to form molten slag |
| Air | Oxygen | Allows the coke to burn, and so produces heat |
Why is a blast furnace called a blast furnace?
The Blast Furnace is a large steel structure about 30 metres high. It is lined with refractory firebricks that can withstand temperatures approaching 2000oC. The furnace gets its name from the method that is used to heat it. Pre-heated air at about 1000oC is blasted into the furnace through nozzles near its base.
What is a blast furnace used for in real life?
Blast furnaces are used to produce pig iron from iron ore for subsequent processing into steel, and they are also employed in processing lead, copper, and other metals. Rapid combustion is maintained by the current of air under pressure. A zinc-lead blast furnace and lead-splash condenser.
Who discovered the blast furnace?
Hot blast was patented by James Beaumont Neilson at Wilsontown Ironworks in Scotland in 1828. Within a few years of the introduction, hot blast was developed to the point where fuel consumption was cut by one-third using coke or two-thirds using coal, while furnace capacity was also significantly increased.
Which is closest to the purest form of the iron?
Wrought iron is the purest form of iron. It contains 0.12 to 0.25% carbon and is thus the purest form of iron.
What is the hottest furnace?
Official world record remains 134°F at Furnace Creek in 1913 In 2013, WMO officially decertified the official all-time hottest temperature in world history, a 136.4 degrees Fahrenheit (58.0°C) reading from Al Azizia, Libya, in 1923. (Burt was a member of the WMO team that made the determination.)