Pig Iron

Description

1. Product Overview
Pig Iron is a high-carbon, semi-finished ferrous product derived from smelting iron ore in a blast furnace, serving as the essential precursor in integrated steelmaking and high-grade foundry casting. Its primary industrial use is as a charge material for electric arc furnace (EAF) steel production and dilution of contaminants in ductile and gray iron castings. The key value proposition is its superior metallurgical consistency and carbon saturation (3.5–4.5%), which reduces energy consumption and improves melt fluidity compared to scrap steel. Strategically, securing a reliable pig iron supply mitigates scrap market volatility and enables precision alloying—making it a critical lever for margin stability in global steel and foundry operations.

2. Key Specifications & Technical Characteristics

• Chemical Composition (Typical, per grade):

  • Basic Pig Iron: Fe: 92–94%, C: 3.5–4.5%, Si: 0.5–1.2%, Mn: 0.5–1.0%, P: ≤0.15%, S: ≤0.04%

  • Foundry Pig Iron: Fe: 93–95%, C: 3.8–4.2%, Si: 1.5–3.0%, Mn: ≤0.6%, P: ≤0.08%, S: ≤0.03%

• Purity/Grade: Standard merchant grade (ASTM A43 / EN 10001 equivalent); low-residual options available (Cu+Cr+Sn+Ni ≤0.10%)

• Physical Characteristics:

  • Form: Irregular ingots (2–10 kg) or granulated (10–50 mm)

  • Color: Silver-gray metallic; slightly oxidized surface

  • Bulk density: ~3.8–4.2 g/cm³

  • Melting point: 1150–1200°C

• Packaging Options:

  • Loose bulk in 20’/40’ open-top containers

  • 1–2 MT steel-strapped bundles on pallets

  • Moisture-resistant shrink-wrapped units for high-humidity transit

• Shelf Life: Indefinite if stored in dry, covered conditions; avoid contact with standing water to prevent surface rust <0.5% mass loss/year

3. Core Industrial Applications

• Primary Industries: Electric arc furnace (EAF) mini-mills, ductile iron foundries, gray iron foundries, and precision casting houses.

• Operational Use Cases:

  • Steelmaking (EAF): Pig iron replaces 15–30% of scrap charge to dilute residual copper, tin, and zinc, enabling production of high-grade structural and automotive steel.

  • Ductile Iron Casting: High-purity foundry pig iron provides consistent carbon and low sulfur, improving nodularization efficiency and reducing magnesium treatment costs by 8–12%.

  • Gray Iron Castings (engine blocks, brake drums): Controlled silicon content optimizes pearlite formation, boosting tensile strength (250–350 MPa) without additional alloying.

• Performance vs. Alternatives:

  • vs. Heavy melting scrap (HMS): Offers predictable carbon saturation, no contamination risk, and 15% faster melt rates.

  • vs. Direct reduced iron (DRI): Lower oxidation loss (1–2% vs. 5–8% for DRI), no self-heating hazard, easier handling.

  • Cost advantage: Reduces alloying additions (FeSi, carbon raiser) by 10–15% per tonne of finished melt.

4. Competitive Advantages

• Quality Consistency: Every shipment includes a certified mill test report (MTR) with LOT-specific chemistry; variation of Si and C <0.1% across 10,000 MT batches.

• Supply Reliability: Direct offtake agreements with three primary blast furnace operators (Brazil, Russia, Ukraine alternative routes available); 98.5% on-time delivery rate for spot and term contracts.

• Logistics Capability: Dedicated breakbulk and containerized shipping desks; pre-shipment inspection at load port (SGS or Bureau Veritas) with video verification.

• Price Competitiveness: Index-linked pricing (The SteelIndex, CRU) or fixed quarterly contracts; 2% early payment discount for LC at sight.

• Sustainability: Produced using 40% biochar-reduced emissions technology (compared to industry average); supply chain traceable via blockchain-enabled carbon ledger.

• Technical Support: Free melt optimization model provided to buyers—calculates ideal pig iron/scrap ratio to minimize cost per tonne of liquid metal.

5. Commercial & Supply Information

• Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ): BULK 20 MT (one loose-filled 20’ container)

• Loading Capacity: 20 MT per 20’ dry container (bundled) | 25 MT per 20’ open-top (bulk) | 50 MT per 40’ open-top (bulk)