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Iron Ore Information
Trace Elements effects and Remedies
Trace Elements Effects and Remedies
The inclusion of even small amounts of some elements can have profound
effects on the behavioral characteristics of a batch of iron or the
operation of a smelter. These effects can be both good and bad. Some
catastrophically bad. Some chemicals were deliberately added. The
addition of a flux made a blast furnace more efficient. Others were
added because they made the iron more fluid, harder, or some other
desirable quality. The choice of ore, fuel, and flux determined how the
slag behaved and the operational characteristics of the iron produced.
Ideally iron ore contains only iron and oxygen. In nature this is rarely
the case. Typically, iron ore contains a host of elements which are
often unwanted in modern steel.