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Chances are, you've already used steel in several ways today - from the car you drove in to work to the knife and fork you used at dinner. Steel is all around us and the world would look very different without it, but most of us don't really know how it's made.
Well, that's where the metal experts at Clickmetal come in! In the guide below, we'll take you through the step-by-step process of how steel is created, from its raw materials to the many final forms it takes.
Steel production is a complex process that can vary based on the type of steel and the techniques used. This guide will be focusing on the most common method, basic oxygen steelmaking, but keep in mind that not all steel is processed this way - some are refined using electric arc furnaces or other methods.
Now, let's walk through how the typical process works.
The steel-making process begins with gathering the essential raw materials: iron ore, coal, and limestone.
Alloying elements like magnesium or nickel may also be gathered for use later in the refining process.
These materials are typically mined from large deposits and transported to steel mills, where the transformation into steel begins.
The next step is turning coal into coke (no, not the drink). This involves heating coal in a low-oxygen environment, usually in a coke oven, to remove volatile compounds. This leaves behind coke, a carbon-rich fuel that burns hotter and cleaner than regular coal.
Coke is crucial because it provides the intense heat needed in the blast furnace, where the iron ore will be melted down.
Once the coke is ready, the next step is to produce molten iron in a blast furnace - a massive structure that can reach 100 to 200 feet tall. Here's how the process works:
This molten iron, known as pig iron, still contains a high level of carbon and impurities, which makes it brittle. It needs to go through a refining process to turn it into steel.
Fun fact: Pig iron got its name from the way the moulds were arranged for casting. The moulds were set up in a pattern that resembled a mother pig with her piglets. The larger mould, where the molten iron was poured, was called the "sow," and the smaller ingots that flowed from it were called "pigs"!
The pig iron from the blast furnace is then taken to a basic oxygen furnace to be refined into steel. This process lowers the carbon content and removes impurities, making the iron stronger and more versatile.
The result is high-quality liquid steel with a much lower carbon content than the original pig iron.
Once refined, the molten steel is ready to be cast. The steel is poured into moulds to form slabs, billets, or blooms, depending on the desired shape.
Most modern steel plants use a method called continuous casting. In this process, the molten steel is continuously poured into a water-cooled mould, where it solidifies as it moves downward. This produces long strands of steel that are cut to the needed length. Steel might still be cast into large ingots in some cases, but this method is less common today.
After the steel has solidified, it goes through additional shaping to create the final product. This is usually done through hot or cold rolling:
The final step in the actual steel-making process is a series of finishing treatments that prepare the steel for use in construction, manufacturing, and other industries. These processes include:
Before steel products are shipped out, they go through strict quality control tests to make sure they meet the necessary mechanical properties, chemical composition, and dimensional tolerances. Common tests include:
Once the steel passes these tests and meets the standards, it's ready to be used in a wide range of products - from tools and machinery to vehicle frames, furniture, medical equipment, and just about anything else you can imagine!
As one of the UK's leading steel and aluminium suppliers, we at Clickmetal are passionate about the role quality metal plays in building the world around us, from small DIY projects to large-scale developments. That's why we only source our metals from trusted suppliers and put all our custom-cut pieces through rigorous quality control to meet the highest standards. If you're looking for premium-quality metal for your project, you can rely on us to deliver exactly what you need - quickly and at some of the best prices in the UK. Explore our full range here!