Extraction Of Iron Ore(bhargo Camp)r

The Bessemer Converter is a pear- shaped furnace. Which is lined from inside With heat-resistant bricks. At the bare of the furnace,there a number of holes through which hot air can be passed into the furnace. The Bessemer converter can be rotated on a central horizontal axis due to which it can be tilted in different positions. In figure we have shown the mouth Carbon dioxide Insulator Bricks

Hot air Slag Molten iron

of the Bessemer converter in the upword direction.The mouth of the Bessemer converter can also be brought on one side by turning it. The Bessemer converter can be tilted in any direction. It can even be turned upside down . We will now describe how this Bessemer converter is used to produce stell from pig iron.

The Bessemer converter is first turned sideways and molten pig iron is put into it some calcium oxide is also put into the Bessemer Converter. The Bessemer Converter is now brought back into the vertical position as shown in figure. A blast of hot air is passed into the Bessemer Converter. The oxygen present in hot air oxidises the variqus impurities present in pig iron as follows: Carbon present as impurity in pig iron is oxidized by the oxygen of hot air to carbon monoxide gas: 2C + O2 Carbon

Oxygen

2CO Carbon Monoxide

This carbon monoxide gas burns at the mouth of the Bessemer Converter to from carbon –dioxide gas. The burning of carbon monoxide produces a flame at the mouth of the furnace when the flame produced by the burning of carbon monoxide at the mouth of the furnace gets extinguished, it indicates that all the carbon present as impurity in the pig iron has been oxidised and hence removed. Manganese present as impurity in pig iron is oxidised by the oxygen of hot air to form manganese oxide. 2Mn + Manganese

O2

Oxygen

2MnO Manganese Oxide

Silicon present as impurity in pig iron is oxidised by the oxygen of hot air to silicon dioxide: Si Silicon

+

O2 Oxygen

SiO2 Silicon dioxide

Manganese oxide and silicon dioxide react to form manganqus silicate slag: MnO

+

SiO2

MnSiO3

together

Manganese oxide

Silicon Dioxide

Manganous Silicate

This manganous silicate slag , being lighter, floats on the surface of molten iron in the furnace .Phosphorus present as impurity in pig iron is oxidised by the oxygen of hot air to form phosphorus pentoxide: 4p

+ 5O2

Phosphorus

oxygen

2p2O5 Phosporus pentoxide

This phosphorus pestoxide reacts with calcium oxide to form calcium phosphate slag: 3Cao

+

Calcium Oxide

P2O5 Phosphorus

Ca3(PO4)2 Calcium Phosphate