Story: Iron and steel

Inside an iron smelter

Inside an iron smelter

An electric arc furnace is used during the smelting process – heating ironsands to extract iron. The mixture of iron and oxide impurities is heated to about 1,500°C. Molten iron is drawn off on one side, and slag (waste) on the other.

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New Zealand Steel

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How to cite this page:

Fleur Templeton, 'Iron and steel - The steel industry', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/5890/inside-an-iron-smelter (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Fleur Templeton, published 12 Jun 2006