Pig Iron

Pig iron is the product of smelting iron ore (also ilmenite) with a high-carbon fuel and reductant such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite are also used as fuel and reductant. Pig iron is produced by smelting or iron ore in blast furnaces or by smelting ilmenite in electric furnaces.

Types of merchant pig iron

Merchant pig iron comprises three main types:

1. Basic pig iron: used mainly in electric arc steelmaking
2. Foundry pig iron (also known as haematite pig iron): used in mainly in the manufacture of grey iron castings in cupola furnaces
3. High purity pig iron (also known as nodular pig iron): used in the manufacture of ductile [also known as nodular or spheroidal graphite – SG] iron castings.