Definition

Noun: - Crude iron tapped from a blast furnace: A hard, brittle form of iron with a high carbon content (typically 3.5–4.5%), produced by smelting iron ore in a blast furnace. It is the intermediate product from which wrought iron, cast iron, and steel are made.

Usage

Pig iron is the raw, unrefined output of a blast furnace. It is cast into simple, oblong molds (historically resembling a litter of piglets suckling, hence the name) for easy handling and transport to further processing facilities.

Examples

• The blast furnace operator tapped the molten pig iron into sand molds arranged on the casting floor.
• This factory imports pig iron to use as the primary raw material for its steelmaking operations.
• Before the development of modern steelmaking, pig iron was often remelted in a finery forge to produce wrought iron.

Advanced Usage

• Merchant Pig Iron: Pig iron that is produced specifically for sale on the open market to foundries or steelmakers, as opposed to being used directly by the producer.
• Basic Pig Iron: Pig iron suitable for use in basic steelmaking processes, characterized by low phosphorus and sulfur content.

Variants and Related Words

• Pig: A common shortened, informal term for pig iron within the industry.
  • Example: "We need to order another 50 tons of pig for the foundry."
• Cast Iron: A family of iron-carbon alloys with a carbon content greater than 2%, typically made by remelting pig iron, often with additions of scrap iron and other elements.
• Direct Reduced Iron (DRI): An alternative, solid-state reduced form of iron produced without melting, used as a feedstock for electric arc furnaces, distinct from molten pig iron.

Synonyms

• Crude iron
• Blast furnace iron

Related Phrases/Idioms

• "To be (as) heavy as pig iron": An informal simile describing something extremely heavy.
  • Example: "This suitcase is as heavy as pig iron; what did you pack?"

Noun

1. crude iron tapped from a blast furnace