Smelting furnaces, including dome, induction, electric, hearth, and blast furnaces, are used to transform ores and other materials into iron and other non-ferrous metals. The cupola is the oldest furnace design, while the induction furnace is an advanced design that uses electricity. Electric furnaces use carbon and granite rods to create high temperatures, and hearth furnaces are used for small quantities of materials. Limestone is used to remove impurities in the smelting process.
Smelting furnaces are used to transform ores and other materials into iron as well as other non-ferrous metals. Made in several distinct styles and designs, each targeting a specific melting process, various melting furnaces such as dome, induction, and electric furnaces are used throughout the world. Also used in the smelting process with great success are hearth and blast furnaces. While the electric furnace uses electricity to create the heat needed to smelt iron ore, coke, and other iron-making ingredients, the blast furnace uses forced air, often enriched with pure oxygen, to superheat materials, reducing considerably the time required to produce iron in smelting furnaces.
The cupola is perhaps the oldest of all smelting furnaces. Use a tall cylindrical outer shell lined with clay, brick, or other materials to protect the furnace from burning. The dome was heated over a large fire and the ore and other ingredients were placed inside to melt. Once melted, the liquid was poured or ladle out of the kiln and placed into molds to produce iron components. Limestone was typically introduced into the molten iron mixture to bring any impurities to the surface so they could be easily skimmed off.
The induction furnace is an advanced design in smelting furnaces and one that uses electricity in the form of alternating current (AC) to create the heat needed to smelt the ore. Large copper coils are placed inside the induction furnace and heat up as AC electrical energy is passed through the coils. To prevent destruction of the copper heating coils by overheating, water is passed through the coils to lower the temperature. These smelting furnaces are best suited to smelting and creating iron and other non-ferrous metals.
Electric furnaces vary from induction melting furnaces in that the carbon rods are heated using electricity to create the right temperature for melting. Carbon rods are capable of producing a higher temperature than electricity alone; along with the carbon rods, granite rods are also used to create the desired heat to complete the smelting process. These smelting furnaces are commonly found in steel mills and foundries as the main smelting furnaces. The hearth furnace is commonly used for melting small quantities of materials. Hearth furnaces typically use electric or natural gas heating elements to heat the hearth, enabling the smelting process.
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