Cast iron and the oxygen lance process

• The iron that is produced in the blast furnace contains about 4% carbon in mass terms
• It also has other impurities such as phosphorus and sulpher
• These impurities make the iron brittle if it is used as a structural material
• It also rusts rapidly
• This iron can be used as cast iron
• It is used to make casting moulds for such items as gas stoves and railings
• For it to be useful it has to be purified further
• This is done using the oxygen lance process

The oxygen lance process

• The impurities in cast iron can be removed using the oxygen lance process
• This takes place in a basic  oxygen furnace
• Oxygen is blown  into molten iron through a tube called a lance
• This increases the temperature and all the impurities are oxidised
• No fuel is required as the reactions involved are exothermic

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