Both pig
iron and sponge iron are made of the same component, that is iron hence, both
are iron ore. In terms of their intended application and manufacturing
processes, sponge and pig iron are distinct from one another. Even though they
are both made up of the same component- iron, they each have unique
characteristics.
We can
create sponge iron and pig iron, two different types of iron, from the iron
ores that naturally exist under the earth's surface. Due to their different
qualities, pig iron and sponge iron are both used for a variety of purposes.
Although pig and sponge iron has certain similarities, we will also talk about
some of their distinctions in this blog, but first, let’s get to know both of
them a little better.
Pig Iron:
Pig iron is
a semi-finished metal that is created in a blast furnace from iron ore. It
contains 92 percent iron, high levels of carbon (up to 3.5 percent), and
varying amounts of manganese, silicon, phosphorus, and other pollutants.
Chinese
smiths made the discovery of pig iron in the eleventh century. The need for
wrought iron has grown over the past few years, since, it is used to make
furniture, barbecues, and other items. Sponge iron can also be used to make wrought
iron. Limestone and charcoal are melted with iron ore under high pressure to
create pig iron. This is unstable and brittle with high carbon content. Pig
iron generated by smelting iron ore is melted and combined to create wrought
iron, steel, and cast iron in order to put it to use commercially. Then, these
kinds of pig iron are used commercially.
Sponge iron:
Sponge iron
is used in electric furnaces because it has high iron content and is a superior
form of iron. It can also be mixed with different metals and put to different
types of uses related to iron. Through a reduction procedure, we may create
sponge iron, a kind of iron, straight from iron ore. Because of this, we may
also refer to it as "direct reduced iron". There, different
reducing agents like natural gas or gas released from coal are exposed to the
ore. Additionally, a variety of furnaces, including oxygen, charcoal, and blast
furnaces, can be used to make sponge iron. Compared to other kinds of
identically smelted iron, sponge iron offers various benefits. Due to its
higher iron concentration, sponge iron is preferable to pig iron. It has
several applications in electric furnaces as a result of this feature. To
create a range of iron-containing products, we can combine sponge iron in its
powdered form with numerous other metals.
For
instance, sponge iron may be used to make wrought iron. We utilize this sort of
iron to create decorative objects like barbecues and patio furniture. If we
treat wrought iron furniture well, it lasts for many years and is quite
popular. Modern sponge iron production techniques do not require reducing
gases, therefore melting the ore is not even necessary.
Differences between the two types
The key
distinction between sponge iron and pig iron is that it is produced by melting
iron ore with charcoal and limestone at extremely high pressures while sponge
iron is produced by directly reducing iron ore using reducing agents.
The fact
that sponge iron is porous whereas pig iron is not, making it relatively
denser, is another distinction between the two types of iron. Additionally,
there are differences between sponge iron and pig iron in the way they are
produced. That is; the production process of sponge iron is a liquid state
process whereas it is a solid-state process for pig iron.
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