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How to Melt Steel Scrap

Steel is one of the most common alloys in the world, one that most people encounter on a daily basis. According to the University of Illinois, steel is an iron-based alloy that in most circumstances is composed of less than one percent carbon. Steel is used extensively in automobiles, ships, buildings and machinery. Elmhurst college points out that most steel is created by heating pig iron in a blast furnace at extremely high temperatures. Recycling steel is common, states the University of Illinois, and is generally done by simply reheating steel scrap until it is in a molten state.

Things You'll Need

Scrap steel
Oxygen-fueled blast furnace
Vent system
Oxygen intake
Heat source
Molten steel trap

Instructions

- 1
  Collect all available scrap steel that you intend to melt and place it in the oxygen-fueled blast furnace. Heating a blast furnace to the temperatures required to melt steel takes a lot of energy. It is more economical to melt scrap steel in one large batch as opposed to multiple smaller batches.
- 2
  Seal the blast furnace and perform a safety check of the exhaust vent to ensure that the furnace is sealed except at the points of the oxygen intake and the exhaust vent. The scrap steel may be contaminated with other substances that will create noxious fumes when heated. All exhaust should be vented out of inhabited spaces.
- 3
  Activate the heat source and open the oxygen intake vent to begin the process of heating the blast furnace and its contents. The scrap steel will need to be heated to at least 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit in order to fully melt the scrap steel.
- 4
  Monitor the liquid steel as it flows out of the blast furnace into the molten steel trap. Once the flow of liquid steel out of the furnace has completely ceased, the blast furnace can be shut off. The scrap steel will then be melted and ready to cast and reuse.

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