Question

Describe how the following changes are brought about:
Pig iron into steel.

Answer 1

Pig iron is converted into steel by heating in a converter. A blast of oxygen diluted with carbon dioxide is blown through the converter. Oxygen reacts with impurities and raises the temperature to $2173K$. Carbon gets oxidised to $CO$ which burns off at the mouth of the converter. Oxides of silicon and $Mg$ from slag. When the flame is stopped, slag is tapped off and other metal like $Mn,Cr,Ni,W$ may be added in the end.