![[Pasted image 20231125230658.png]] There are 3 main raw materials to make steel: Iron ore, coal and scrap steel ## Unloading Iron ore-bearing material and metallurgical coal is typically and most economically delivered to steel-making sites by large, ocean-going ships. When ships arrive, raw materials are unloaded using huge cranes with opening jaws that grab the raw material from the hold of the ship and then deposit it in huge piles. Steel plants that are situated inland need to bring raw materials in by land, using goods trains. ## Stacker / reclaimer Raw materials are stacked according to their grade by giant machines called stacker-reclaimers. These machines pick up the raw materials and deposit them on conveyor belts using continually rotating ‘buckets’. The conveyors then deposit the material according to grade. The raw material is now ready for processing. ## Coking plant To make steel in a blast furnace, coal must first be turned into coke. Coke has a dual role in the steelmaking process. First, it provides the heat needed to melt the ore, and second, when it is burnt, it has the effect of ‘stealing’ the oxygen from the iron ore, leaving only the pure iron behind. In the coking plant, coal is heated in the absence of oxygen to 1250c. This removes any impurities in the coal, resulting in coke, which is a porous substance that is nearly all carbon. The coking process creates coke gas, which is a valuable, energy-bearing commodity and so is re-used, providing heat for the coke ovens. It can also be used to produce electricity. The other by-products, **tar, sulphur, ammonia, naphthalene and benzole,** are also captured and are sold to the chemical industry. Nothing is wasted. ## Sinter plant The sinter plant turns iron ore into sinter, which is the optimal product for the blast furnace. Sinter is made by burning a mix of iron ore powder, fluxes and recycled substances from the steel plant to create an open-grained, consistent substance. The sinter is then crushed, cooled and screened for dust. Sometimes, iron ore is supplied in the form of iron ore pellets. These need no further processing and are ready for use using the direct reduction iron (DRI) steelmaking method.