What Is A Blast Furnace?

Blast Furnace

A blast furnace is a large, high-temperature industrial furnace used to extract iron from iron ore. In this process, iron ore, coke (a form of carbon), and limestone are fed into the furnace, and a blast of hot air is introduced from the bottom. The intense heat causes a chemical reaction that separates the iron from the ore, producing molten iron, which collects at the bottom of the furnace, and slag, a byproduct, floats to the top. The molten iron is the primary raw material for making steel.