Hot Metal Production by Smelting Reduction of Iron Oxide

This book, now in its second edition, offers comprehensive coverage of the smelting reduction of iron oxide-an emerging alternative method of producing hot metal without using coke. This technique is being increasingly used for hot metal production, which has up to now, been dominated by the traditional blast furnace method. The shortage of coking coal, the high cost of coke and the recent enforcement of stricter environmental regulations have resulted in the advent of smelting reduction as a supplementary method of hot metal production. The book covers the details of this rapidly emerging method that holds particular relevance for countries such as India that have relatively large reserves of high grade iron ore but lack sufficient coking coal. It offers an in-depth analysis of the theoretical as well as the practical aspects of smelting reduction. It begins by acquainting the readers with the current status of iron making, followed by classification of the various smelting reduction processes. It then focuses on explaining the fundamentals of smelting reduction before providing a critical appraisal of various smelting reduction processes. The future of this method is discussed in the concluding chapter. The book contains numerous illustrations to provide a clear understanding of the different processes, equipment and quality parameters. It is intended mainly for undergraduate and postgraduate engineering (particularly metallurgical engineering) students. It would also be of interest to researchers and technologists interested in the smelting reduction of iron oxide. Highlights of the second edition: Two new sections on HIsarna process and Circosmelt process have been incorporated. New figures and tables have been used in some sections to illustrate the concepts with better clarity and give the up-to-date information. Some references have also been added, making the text suitable for further study.