Production Mechanisms of Bloom and Pig Iron by a Small “Tatara” Furnace

Abstract

The mechanisms of pig iron “Zuku” making and steel “Kera” making from iron sand and charcoal using small Tatara furnaces have been cleared. The “Zuku” making furnace has larger zone at high temperature than the “Kera” making furnace. For the “Zuku” making, iron sand falls down, stays longer in the high temperature zone and is reduced and carbonized in higher carbon steel than for the “Kera” making. The higher carbon steel becomes molten pig iron and the less carbon steel becomes bloom with 1.0 to 1.5 mass% C. From the results of small Tatara furnaces, the difference of reaction mechanisms of Tatara furnaces for “Kera” making and “Zuku” making in the Meiji period has been discussed.