Modern steelmaking can be broken down into six steps:
1. Ironmaking: In the first step, the raw inputs iron ore, coke, and lime are melted in a blast furnace.
The resulting molten iron, also referred to as 'hot metal, ' still contains 4-4.5% carbon and other impurities that make it brittle.
2. Primary Steelmaking: There are two primary steelmaking methods: BOS (Basic Oxygen Furnace) and the more modern EAF (Electric Arc Furnace) methods. BOS methods add recycled scrap steel to the molten iron in a converter.