Iron age method

Sponge iron is nothing but reduced iron ore. In fact, people first started manufacturing iron through this route. This technology is, therefore, rightly termed iron-age technology. Sponge iron is manufactured either using coal or natural gas. Although making sponge iron using gas is more economical, less polluting and yields a better final product than using coal, use of gas is limited. The manufacturing process using coal involves treating iron ore and non-coking coal along with small quantities of dolomite in a kiln. The end product, which is in the form of lumps, is the raw material for making steel. Sponge iron is fed along with scrap steel and converted to steel in electric arc furnaces or induction furnaces. Traditionally, steel was manufactured in blast furnaces