Smelted

Smelted is the adjective used for material that has undergone smelting, a metallurgical process in which ore is heated with a reducing agent to extract a metal from its oxide. Smelting also involves fluxes to remove impurities, producing a separate layer of slag and molten metal.

During smelting, ore is heated in a furnace with a reducing agent, commonly carbon in the form of charcoal, coke, or coal. The reducing agent promotes chemical reduction of metal oxides to metal. Fluxes such as limestone or silica combine with gangue to form slag, which helps separate the desired metal from waste material.

The resulting metal may be refined further and cast into ingots, bars, or other shapes. Metals produced through smelting include iron (often as pig iron), copper, lead, zinc, and tin, with the specific products depending on ore composition and process conditions. Some metals, such as iron, are later refined and alloyed to produce finished products; others, like copper, may undergo subsequent refining stages after smelting.

Historically, smelting evolved from small bloomery furnaces to large blast furnaces and reverberatory furnaces. Modern smelting encompasses specialized processes such as blast furnace smelting for iron and flash smelting for copper, often with environmental controls and by-product recovery. Slag and other by-products can be processed for use in construction materials or other industries.

Notes: Smelted should not be confused with melted. Smelting implies chemical reduction and separation of metal from ore, whereas melting is the simple transition from solid to liquid. Smelted materials are identified by the metal they contain, such as smelted iron or smelted copper.