Ferroalloy refers to a product that is added to molten iron as a deoxidizer, element additive, etc. during steelmaking to make the steel have certain characteristics or meet certain requirements. A master alloy composed of iron and one or several elements, mainly used in iron and steel smelting.
ferroalloy production
Properties of Ferroalloys
1. The main elements of ferroalloys generally have a high melting point, and the oxides are difficult to reduce, and it is difficult to smelt pure metal. If it is combined with iron, it is easier to reduce and smelt.
2. Ferroalloys are used in iron and steel smelting, in which iron is not only harmless, but also beneficial because it is easy to melt in molten steel. Therefore, most of the deoxidation and addition alloys in the steelmaking process are added in the form of ferroalloys.
3. Iron alloys are generally very brittle and cannot be used as metal materials.
In the iron and steel industry, all intermediate alloys used in steelmaking are generally referred to as “ferroalloys” regardless of whether they contain iron or not (such as silicon-calcium alloys). It is customary to also include some pure metal additives and oxide additives.
ferroalloy
Ferroalloys are generally used as:
Deoxidizers: In the process of steelmaking, oxygen is removed from molten steel, and some ferroalloys can also remove other impurities such as sulfur and nitrogen in steel.
Alloy Additives: According to the requirements of steel grades, alloying elements are added to the steel to improve the properties of the steel.
Inoculant: It is added to molten iron before casting of cast iron to improve the crystallographic structure of the casting.