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21.1 Introduction
Iron is produced by the reduction of iron ore and other iron
oxides as a precursor to steel and by remelting of metallic
stock to produce a family of iron-based alloys (cast irons)
for industrial use. More than 1 billion metric tons of iron
is produced annually by reduction processes.
1
Blast fur-
naces account for more than 90% of iron reduction with the
rest accomplished through direct reduction or “alternate
ironmaking” processes. Cupola furnaces, rotary furnaces,
and induction furnaces are the primary units for cast iron
re-melting. In 2009, the cast iron production of the main
industrialized countries was 58.6 million ...