4. Blast furnaces

In industrial practice, the operation of a blast furnace requires :

• preparation of charges consisting mainly of agglomerates and coke;

• their load at the shout;

• blowing the wind (air previously heated to high temperature in the cowpers) under pressure through the nozzles;

• injection of auxiliary fuels (coal, tar, fuel oil, gas) with or without oxygen from the same nozzles.

It leads to :

• pouring of liquid cast iron;

• liquid slag casting;

• the production of gas which, after dedusting, is used as fuel in the plant, in particular to heat the wind in the cowpers.

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