Ferrous metals: deposits, storage. Metallurgy of ferrous metals

Metals are never losing their relevance materials. They are widely used in everyday life and in industry. Of course, today we have invented a lot of various alternative substances, on the basis of which materials are obtained that are not inferior in quality to metals. However, they can not be completely replaced. It is difficult to imagine fences and gates, gratings, hatch covers, tools and much more from something else.

Although plastic, glass, silicone, polyethylene and polypropylene have firmly entered the modern life of a person, it is difficult to replace fundamental parts of structures, numerous parts of cars and other vehicles with any alternative to metals. Its just not there.

Metals in the Periodic Table

In the Periodic System of Chemical Elements, metals occupy a leading position. Of the 117 positions known to date, more than 90 belong to metals. All these elements have a number of characteristic features that allow them to be referred to a group of metals:

1. Capable of conducting an electric current.
2. They have thermal conductivity.
3. Ductile, plastic, can be rolled into sheets and wire (not all).
4. Have a silvery sheen (except copper and gold).

In addition to common properties, each such element has a number of specific features, which makes it so demanded.

Typology

All metals as simple substances can also be divided into three classes:

1. Black.
2. Colored.
3. Precious.

Non-ferrous metals are all except precious and iron. That is, it is copper, mercury, palladium, chromium, nickel, zinc, magnesium, calcium, aluminum, lead, tin and so on.

The following metals are classified as precious metals:

• silver;
• gold;
• Platinum.

Ferrous metals - what are they?

This class includes:

• Iron and all its alloys;
• manganese;
• chromium;
• vanadium;
• titanium;
• Actinides and uranium (thorium, plutonium, neptunium and others);
• tungsten;
• Alkali metals.

That is, from the whole variety of these substances, the share of ferrous metals accounts for a smaller part. And basically not the most common (with the exception of iron) are in the earth's crust and bowels.

But despite the fact that ferrous metals are represented by such a small number of elements, they are very common and extensive in production and processing. The mass of products, parts, accessories is made of iron and its alloys.

Metallurgy of ferrous metals is quite extensive and in demand all over the world. Extraction and processing of iron - one of the advanced technical and economic tasks of many countries in the world, including Russia.

Deposits of ferrous metals on the planet

Iron in terms of production is in the first place among all metals. Its mass content in nature, including in the earth's crust, is estimated at billions. At the same time, according to experts, a person to date has only explored a hundred billion tons.

If we talk about the world's deposits of ferrous metals, primarily iron, it should be noted that they exist on all continents, in all parts of the world, except for the points of the extreme North. At the same time, the distribution by country is roughly the following (in descending order):

• Russia (about forty percent of all world reserves);
• Brazil;
• Australia;
• Canada;
• USA;
• China;
• India;
• Sweden.

Deposits in Russia

In Russia, black metals are contained in virtually all large-scale federal districts.

1. The Central Federal District (Kursk Magnetic Anomaly) - over 59%.
2. The Urals Federal District - 14%.
3. Siberian district - 13%.
4. Far Eastern - 8%.
5. North-West Federal District - 4%.
6. Privolzhsky - 0,5%.

In each of these districts, there is an enterprise where metallurgy of ferrous metals is carried out. Russia occupies an obvious leading position in the world in this indicator, and, judging by the reserves, this will continue for a very long time.

Extraction of material

The production of ferrous metal is associated with several complex staged processes. First, ferrous metals are not found in native form, but are part of the corresponding ores (manganese, iron, and so on). Therefore, before getting metal, it is necessary to extract rock from the earth - ore.

This process is carried out by the mining industry. In this case, ores containing iron, can be rich and saturated or scanty on metal. Therefore, after extracting the ore, its piece is taken for chemical analysis. If the quantitative content of metal is more than 57-60%, then the work continues. If lower, then stop or move to another territory to find a richer ore. Otherwise, this process is simply economically unprofitable.

The next stage, which involves the production of black metal, is the processing of extracted ore at a special plant. This process is called metallurgy. It can be of several types:

1. Hydrometallurgy - the basis for the extraction and processing of ore is the use of water. At the same time, during the leaching process, the metals from the ore are transferred to the solution, and then they are extracted from the ore by the method of electrolysis in pure form. Energetically and financially, this method is more expensive, so it is used only for special metals.
2. Pyrometallurgy is the technique of using fire. Processes of thermal processing of ore in blast furnaces using coking coal. The most common way of processing ore and extracting metals. Used in ferrous metallurgy.
3. Biometallurgy . It is based on the action of living organisms, only begins to be introduced into practice, developed by biotechnologists. The essence is the ability of some microorganisms to extract metals from the composition of ores during the life process.

Treatment

At the processing plant, mined ore containing ferrous metals is thoroughly processed. All these processes are reflected in the table below.

Technological process	The essence of the process	Result
1. Ore dressing	Separation of a part of ore containing metal from an empty rock. It can occur in one of three ways: Magnetic (based on ferromagnetic iron); Gravitational (base - different densities of empty and rich breeds); Flotation (based on the use of water with a foaming agent).	Get a clean, rich in ferrous metal substrate, which is sent for further processing.
2. Agglomeration	The process of sintering ore. It is carried out in order to obtain a pure substance, without any admixtures of gases and dust, and so on.	Three types of processed ore are obtained: Sinter ore (baked at high temperatures without access to air); Separated (purified by separation); Oat pellet (mass containing iron fluxes).
3. Domain process	Coking of ore in a blast furnace when using iron as its fuel and reducing agent from its coal oxides.	Get pure iron, if necessary already fused with carbon, with the formation of steel.

This is how iron and its alloys are produced. At the same time, the maximum material costs are spent on the preparation and use of coke (coal). It is for iron that it is a reducing agent, fuel, heat source, carbon supplier. Therefore, the described process uses a rather large number of it, hence the high cash costs.

Storage conditions

First of all, ferrous metals include iron and its alloys. It should be understood that this is a very corrosively unstable material. Therefore, the storage of ferrous metal requires compliance with certain rules, especially if it's not about the designs and products, but about the so-called scrap of ferrous metals (waste, broken products, sheets, rods, fittings, etc.):

1. The room in which the material is located must be completely closed from access to moisture (rain, snow). The less moisture, the longer the shelf life.
2. The warehouse area should be large, it is impossible to keep the sheet structures of ferrous metals in contact with each other, as this will provoke early corrosion.
3. All available material should be sorted by brand and size.

If these simple rules are observed, it will be possible to restrain as much as possible the processes of destruction of the structure of metals.

Alloys of black metal

To those it is customary to include alloys of iron, which are divided into several types:

1. Steel . Black metal, fused with carbon, gives this result.
2. Cast iron . The initial cast iron, which is produced in blast furnaces during processing of ore, is completely unsuitable as a material for the production of devices and items for economic purposes. He's too fragile. It needs to be subjected to further processing in the form of saturation with iron and carbon, in order to obtain an excellent durable material. Also add other elements to improve corrosion resistance and improve performance.
3. Ferroalloys (silicocalcium, ferrochromium, ferrosilicon, silicomanganese). The main purpose of these alloys is to improve the technical characteristics of the final material.

Steel

The main place among all the alloys of ferrous metals is given to steel. Today we have learned to achieve very significant results in the production of this material with pre-determined important properties. This kind of alloy is the most important for the industry, which was given by ferrous metals. What kind of steel is it?

1. Low-carbon - are used for the production of various tools.
2. Stainless (they make pipes, refractory parts, cutting tools, welded equipment and so on).
3. Ferrite chrome.
4. Martensitno-chrome.
5. Alloyed.
6. Nickel.
7. Chrome.
8. Chrome-vanadium.
9. Tungsten.
10. Molybdenum.
11. Manganese.

By the names it is obvious that these components are added to the mixture of iron and carbon in a certain ratio. This affects the significant change in the properties of the resulting materials.

Secondary metals

Unfortunately, no matter how much we want, things can not last forever. Over time, everything becomes worthless - it breaks, beats, grows old and out of fashion. So it happens with the structures of ferrous metals. Steel, cast iron and other products, spare parts just cease to be necessary.

Then they are handed over to special enterprises engaged in processing raw materials that have become unusable. Now these metals are black secondary. This is how the metal products made of ferrous metals that have disappeared and are unnecessary in everyday life are called.

Those enterprises that collect scrap must comply with certain rules for its storage, export and sale. The legislation of our country on this issue is GOST. Ferrous metals, just like colored ones, are under strict law control.

Secondary metals can be processed and re-commissioned. It is for the sale for such purposes and buy up a black scrap metal intermediary entrepreneurs.

Today, black metals are treated with due respect, they occupy a leading position in the market of related products.

Use in engineering

Steel and cast iron objects, parts, various adaptations find the widest application in mechanical engineering. They are in demand not only in the automobile, but also in chemical, aviation production, as well as in shipbuilding. All this is due to the special strength of these materials, their heat resistance and corrosion resistance. Ferrous metals become the base material for the production of many types of products. Among the most common are the following:

• Side covers of reducers;
• Bearings;
• Valves;
• fitting;
• Bushings;
• Pipes;
• Cylinders of cars and other vehicles;
• Cogwheels;
• Chain links on tractors;
• Brake drums;
• Carriage;
• Casings and so on.

This list can be continued indefinitely, because there are many articles of ferrous metals and their alloys.

Application in other industries

There are several main areas in which ferrous metals are used:

1. Chemical industry.
2. Mechanical engineering.
3. Manufacture of special-purpose furniture.
4. Issue of dishes.
5. Manufacture of structural parts.

This, of course, is not a complete list, but only the most common areas, which account for the vast majority of ferrous metallurgy products.