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How is Iron Obtained?
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The process of obtaining iron from its natural setting and making it usable to society is a twofold one. First, iron ore must be obtained. Afterward, this iron ore must be made into something that is actually usable, what we refer to as "iron." Of course, this process is quite complex. The actual labor and time involved in the capturing of iron ore and then in its processing into iron are massive in scale.
How is Iron Ore Mined?
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Iron ore is generally mined in the form of one of two different minerals. The first mineral is hematite, and the other is magnetite. To begin mining iron ore, a geological survey must first be taken of an area to determine whether substantive deposits of either of those iron ore minerals are present. The geological survey also determines the best method for mining the mineral. Most iron ore that is extracted today is mined using open-pit surface mines. It is possible, however, to mine iron ore in underground tunnel mines. Most deposits of it simply don't make doing so practical, especially when it is much easier and less expensive to operate a surface mine.
How is Iron Ore Made into Iron?
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After iron ore has been mined from the earth and separated into pure iron ore, the actual iron must still be extracted. In order to do so, iron ore is placed inside of large blast furnaces that are fired using coke. Coke is a sort of refined charcoal that burns at extremely high temperatures. In the blast furnace air is fed into the burning coke, which heats the iron ore to temperatures over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. During this process a compound called flux is added to help distill out any impurities. Eventually, at such high heat, the carbon in the burning coke helps to turn the iron ore into molten iron, simultaneously removing impurities in the form of smoke. The molten iron is then drained off and cooled, creating a final product of pure iron.
eHow Article: How Is Iron Obtained?
