Blast Furnace

iron · metal · industry

Incredibly hot. Blast furnaces reach temperatures over 1,200 degrees Celsius (about 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit), hot enough to melt most rocks and metals inside.

Air under pressure. The furnace blasts compressed air into the burning materials, which is where it gets its name and what keeps the fire burning so intensely.

Turns ore into metal. Iron ore goes in at the top, and after it gets roasted by the extreme heat, pure iron flows out at the bottom like a metal river.

Huge and powerful. Blast furnaces are enormous structures found in steel mills and factories, and they can produce hundreds of tons of iron every single day.

Still used today. Even with modern technology, blast furnaces remain the main way factories produce the iron we use for cars, buildings, bridges, and tools.