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   The Raw |
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 Production Process    The primary raw materials
from which steel is made are iron ore, limestone and coke. Coke, a byproduct of coal,
fuels the blast furnace and allows it to reach temperatures ranging from 3400°F to
3600°F, the intense temperatures necessary to make steel. When the raw materials are
combined and heated in the blast furnace, iron is "smelted" or separated from
the ore, and slag forms from the limestone. The slag floats to the top of the molten iron,
where it can be drained, leaving only the molten iron which will be transformed into
molten steel.
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