Steel is an alloy based on iron, coal and other minerals and one of the most important materials around us today – in one form or another, every industry relies on steel, without it, the entire economy would stop. Here is how this essential material is produced:

• The first step after the crude iron ore is extracted from the ground is to melt the ore. The process is called coking or sintering and it is done by stacking coal and iron in layers in a tall furnace, then burning the coal to melt the metal;
• The next step is the removal of impurities from the molten metal. The iron extracted from the ore during the previous process is removed from the furnace and poured into another furnace where pure oxygen is added to eliminate the impurities that are still in the metal. The purified, molten metal is then poured into molds where it cools down and becomes solid material called crude steel;
• The final stage of the manufacturing process is the phase of transforming the crude iron into finished steel products by treating the steel with various technologies and by adding various other minerals or substances to achieve the desired strength, resistance and other physical and chemical features. If you are looking to construct a metal building Colorado has great resources.