How is oxygen used in steelmaking?

basic oxygen process (BOP), a steelmaking method in which pure oxygen is blown into a bath of molten blast-furnace iron and scrap. The oxygen initiates a series of intensively exothermic (heat-releasing) reactions, including the oxidation of such impurities as carbon, silicon, phosphorus, and manganese.

Which is basic oxygen furnace —?

A basic oxygen furnace (BOF) is a vessel used to convert hot metal into steel. The process is known as the basic oxygen furnace process, basic oxygen steelmaking, or the oxygen converter process. During the process, oxygen is blown into a BOF converter containing liquid hot metal containing high carbon content.

What is the use of a BOF basic oxygen furnace?

The basic oxygen furnace (BOF) is a vessel used to convert pig iron, of about 94 percent iron and 6 percent combined impurities such as carbon, manganese, and silicon, into steel with as little as 1 percent combined impurities.

What are the three basic steelmaking processes?

Of the three major steelmaking processes—basic oxygen, open hearth, and electric arc—the first two, with few exceptions, use liquid blast-furnace iron and scrap as raw material and the latter uses a solid charge of scrap and DRI.

What is difference between blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace?

Blast furnaces produce iron from iron ore. In a second step a basic oxygen converter turns iron, with some additions of scrap, into steel. Electric Arc Furnaces produce steel mostly from scrap collected for recycling.

Is a basic oxygen furnace the same as a blast furnace?

Blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace uses iron ore as its base raw material that accounts over just 50% of BOF steel costs, and electric arc furnace uses scrap as its base that represents around 75% of EAF steel cost. The Basic Oxygen Steelmaking process differs from the EAF is that BOF is self-sufficient in energy.

What is the heat source in basic oxygen furnace steelmaking?

Basic oxygen steelmaking is a primary steelmaking process for converting molten pig iron into steel by blowing oxygen through a lance over the molten pig iron inside the converter. Exothermic heat is generated by the oxidation reactions during blowing.

How much oxygen does a BOF use?

Service life of oxygen lance is about 400 heats. The bottom blown basic oxygen furnace is equipped with 15-20 tuyeres for injection of oxygen or lime powder containing oxygen. In this process, the tuyeres are cooled by either hydrocarbon gas or oil supplied to the outer jacket of the tube.

What are the four main steelmaking processes?

Steel scrap has been selectively collected for several decades and is recycled as a valuable raw material for steel production. In the steel production, following stages are identified: production of pig iron; production of liquid steel; hot rolling and cold rolling; applying a metallic and/or organic coating.

Which steelmaking process is the most common type?

The EAF method is the most common steel production method today. Today’s modern EAF steelmaking furnaces produce 150 tons of steel per melt, which takes approximately 90 minutes.

What is EAF and BOF?

Steel is produced via two main routes: the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) route and electric arc furnace (EAF) route. Variations and combinations of production routes also exist. The key difference between the routes is the type of raw materials they consume.

What is EAF steelmaking?

Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) is a steel making furnace, in which steel scrap is heated and melted by heat of electric arcs striking between the furnace electrodes and the metal bath. Two kinds of electric current may be used in Electric Arc Furnaces: direct (DC) and alternating (AC).