!! Sponge iron and everything about it

  • In general, industrial production of iron directly from ore (direct recovery of iron and production of sponge iron) appeared in the 1970s. The first installations were inefficient for the direct recovery of iron and the final product contained a relatively large amount of impurities. Widespread use of this process began in the 1980s. When natural gas was widely used in the mining and metallurgical complex, it was ideally suited for the direct recovery of iron ore.It should be noted that the technological changes that occurred in the 1990s significantly reduced the capital and energy costs of various direct iron reduction processes, thus creating a new leap in the production of DRI products that continues to this day.

Table of contents

The nature of sponge iron

  • Sponge iron (Direct Reduced Iron in English) is a product that is obtained as a result of the recovery of iron ore, without melting it at a temperature lower than 1200-1000 degrees Celsius. Since the volume changes in this material during reduction are relatively small, the density of sponge iron is lower than the density of the raw material and has high porosity. Usually, the apparent density of sponge iron is 2-4 grams per cubic centimeter and has a porosity of 50-80%. It is worth noting that the highly developed surface and high porosity of sponge iron increase its oxidation during storage and transportation under adverse atmospheric conditions.

Reduction reaction in the production process of Direct Reduced Iron iron pellet

  • The reduction reaction effectively occurs only on the surface of solid ore particles. Therefore, a special compromise is required between the raw material (dust or porous form) and the final product (porous pellets, briquettes, “nuggets”, etc.). Note that all effective methods for direct recovery of high-quality iron actually use a single process: rich iron ore (iron ore or iron pellets with an iron content of at least 70%) that is reduced at high temperatures to a product with an iron content. 85-90% or more is converted. In fact, the composition and chemical formula of sponge iron mainly consists of a large amount of iron and some carbon.
Advantages of sponge iron

Advantages of sponge iron

  • It should be explained that high purity and relatively low operating costs have made sponge iron an important raw material for steel production in blast furnaces. In these furnaces, furnace efficiency is improved through the use of ores with low oxygen content. And this has made sponge iron a more efficient raw material than raw stone for use in these furnaces.
  • Also, the use of sponge iron in steel melting (mainly in electric arc furnaces) enables the production of the highest quality and most economical metal (with relatively low energy and environmentally friendly). And from this point of view, it is very useful for fulfilling the needs of various industries such as mechanical engineering (aircraft, shipbuilding, etc.).

?What is involved in the production of sponge iron

  • In general, the production of sponge iron is a method of refining iron ore by reacting it with gas mixtures to remove oxygen through a reduction process. It should be noted that iron ore is a chemical compound of iron and oxygen called iron oxide, which looks like rust. At temperatures above 1800°F, molecular oxygen can be removed from iron by passing a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide through the ore (which converts the ore into refined iron).
  • Note that in the Direct Reduced Iron process, high temperatures are required to release oxygen from the iron and allow it to react with hydrogen and carbon monoxide to form water and carbon dioxide. The production of this product can be done in different types of reactors. In fact, the shapes and designs of reactors are very diverse, including rotating tube furnace or shaft furnace. But the usual method of producing this product is to use a horizontal rotary kiln. This equipment is a heated horizontal drum with a slight surface angle that allows the iron ore to move smoothly from one end to the other as the drum rotates. In this furnace, the drum is heated and gases pass through the center of the drum to reduce the oxygen level.
  • Also keep in mind that different sizes of iron ore (from lumps to iron pellets) can be used in the production of sponge iron. It is worth mentioning that in the production of this product, controlling the furnace temperature is also very important. Because in the production of this product, iron does not need to be heated to its melting point, but only to the level required to release oxygen.The output iron from the porous iron production process contains only a few percent of impurities, including a small amount of other metals present in the iron ore.
Types of sponge iron

Types of sponge iron

  • Sponge iron is used as an important raw material in the production of steel, and there are different types of it based on the characteristics and production methods. Below I mention the common types of sponge iron:

Sponge iron purification process

  • It is worth noting that sponge iron can be purified after the reduction reaction by passing the cooled iron through magnetic separators and using magnets. In this way, once the ore is removed from the reactor, the magnets can remove any impurities from the sponge iron. This step is especially important when coal is used as a reducing agent. Because the reacted carbon may contain non-metallic carbon and other impurities. Keep in mind that the removal of these impurities improves the efficiency of the blast furnace and requires less processing in the next steps.
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The best sponge iron shopping center

  • Finally, it is necessary to remember that if you need to buy sponge iron, you can contact the iron mine sales consultants. Keep in mind that the main mission of Ahan Mine is to attract the commitment and loyalty of customers to this collection! And its experts always take steps towards the realization of this mission. This collection always assures its customers that with just one purchase from this center, they will become one of the permanent customers of Ahan Mine! Therefore, trust buying from this collection and follow the process of buying your sponge iron with full confidence.

Frequently asked questions

  • ?In what industries is sponge iron used

    • Due to its high purity and lower cost, sponge iron (DRI) is used in various industries such as steelmaking, automotive (production of high-quality parts), construction (metal structures and buildings), and pipemaking (corrosion-resistant pipes). It is also used in the marine industry (shipbuilding) and heavy equipment to produce resistant parts.
  • ?What is the difference between sponge iron in different factories

    • The difference in quality of sponge iron from different factories depends on the quality of primary iron ore, production technology and method, additives and production standards. These factors can affect the purity, strength and physical and chemical characteristics of the final product.
  • ?How can I get sponge iron

    • You can call the numbers on the site or leave a message so that our experts can guide you to get the sponge iron you want more easily.
  • Due to its high purity and lower cost, sponge iron (DRI) is used in various industries such as steelmaking, automotive (production of high-quality parts), construction (metal structures and buildings), and pipemaking (corrosion-resistant pipes). It is also used in the marine industry (shipbuilding) and heavy equipment to produce resistant parts.
  • The difference in quality of sponge iron from different factories depends on the quality of primary iron ore, production technology and method, additives and production standards. These factors can affect the purity, strength and physical and chemical characteristics of the final product.
  • You can call the numbers on the site or leave a message so that our experts can guide you to get the sponge iron you want more easily.

Due to its high purity and lower cost, sponge iron (DRI) is used in various industries such as steelmaking, automotive (production of high-quality parts), construction (metal structures and buildings), and pipemaking (corrosion-resistant pipes). It is also used in the marine industry (shipbuilding) and heavy equipment to produce durable parts.

The quality of sponge iron varies from plant to plant depending on the quality of the raw iron ore, the technology and method of production, the additives and production standards. These factors can affect the purity, strength, and physical and chemical properties of the final product.

  • You can call the numbers on the site or leave a message so that our experts can guide you to get the sponge iron you want more easily.
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Alireza Hashemi

Sales manager
09101188100

Marjan Hosseinzadeh

Sales expert
09101188100

Negar Rabi

Sales expert
09101188100
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Taban Asia Steel Company, under the brand name of Ahan Madan, is a consortium of long-standing players in the steel industry, which, relying on the technical and specialized power and years of experience of the steel veterans working in these companies, works in the direction of meeting the needs of customers and their conscious purchase from the Iranian steel market. does Relying on our hardware support, such as a warehouse with an area of ​​ten thousand square meters with a covered hall, supplying and trading all steel sections, providing valid certificates to guarantee the quality of products, support services until the moment of delivery, and also providing special services for the country’s manufacturing industries on an exclusive basis. , is trying to create a safe environment for consumers.

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