steelproducing

Steel production, or steelmaking, is the process of producing steel from iron ore, scrap steel, and other elements, using energy-intensive metallurgical methods. Steel is the most widely used construction and manufacturing material, valued for its strength, ductility, and recyclability. The industry operates mainly through two complementary routes: integrated steelmaking and electric arc furnace steelmaking.

In integrated steelmaking, iron ore is converted to liquid iron in a blast furnace using coke as fuel and reducing agent, with limestone as a flux. The liquid iron, or pig iron, is refined in a basic oxygen furnace to produce steel, and then cast into billets, slabs, or ingots. In many plants, continuous casting replaces traditional ingot casting, followed by hot and cold rolling to form products such as sheet, plate, bars, and structural shapes. Electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking principally uses recycled scrap steel, sometimes supplemented by direct reduced iron or low-carbon scrap, melted in an electric arc furnace with electrical energy. After refining, steel is cast and rolled into a broad range of products.

Common inputs include iron ore, coke or coal, limestone as a flux, recycled steel scrap, and energy (primarily electricity and fuels). Environmental considerations focus on energy intensity and carbon emissions, particularly from blast furnaces. Recycling scrap saves energy and reduces emissions, and ongoing research targets hydrogen and natural gas-based direct reduction or carbon capture to decarbonize the industry. Global production is concentrated in a few regions, with China, India, Europe, Japan, and the United States among the major producers.