About ore-based metallics
Iron and steel are among the most common materials in the world. We rely on them for our housing, transport, food and water supply, energy production, tools and healthcare. Almost everything around us is either made of steel or manufactured by equipment made of steel. Increasingly sophisticated ferrous castings are essential inputs to the automotive, engineering, energy and transport industries and more.
What are metallics?
Ferrous metallics is a generic term for metallic iron feedstock materials used in production of iron and steel and ferrous castings. They can be divided into two types: iron and steel scrap and ore-based metallics.
What are ore-based metallics?
Ore-based metallics (OBMs) consist of:
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- Pig iron of various types
- Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) and
- Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI)
OBMs are scrap supplements, not substitutes. They enable the recycling of scrap and the circular economy.
OBMs have a consistent quality and a low level of impurities which makes them value-adding raw materials in the production of iron and steel and castings.
Types of OBMs
Direct Reduced Iron (DRI)
DRI is the product of the direct reduction of iron ore in the solid state by carbon monoxide and hydrogen derived from natural gas or coal.
More about DRIHot Briquetted Iron (HBI)
HBI is a premium form of DRI that has been compacted at high temperature making it less reactive.
More about HBIPig Iron
Pig iron is the product of smelting iron ore (also ilmenite) with a high-carbon fuel and reductant such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux.
More about Pig IronGranulated Pig Iron (GPI)
Granulating excess pig iron produces a product which can be used as BOF coolant or as feedstock for electric arc furnaces, cupolas and induction furnaces.
More about Granulated Pig IronLooking to buy or sell OBMs?
The IIMA does not trade any metallics. Anyone looking to buy or sell metallics should search our members’ page to find IIMA member companies who deal with production and trade in metallics.
Production of ore-based metallics
OBMs are produced mainly by reduction of iron ore in blast furnaces (various forms of pig iron) and direct reduction plants (direct reduced iron and hot briquetted iron). Pig iron is also a by- or co-product from smelting of the titanium-bearing mineral ilmenite, the primary product being titanium dioxide slag (a feedstock material for titanium dioxide pigment manufacture).
OBMs are manufactured from minerals which have been mined and beneficiated to a known and consistent quality (iron ore and ilmenite). This gives them their characteristics of consistent and predictable quality with low content of metallic impurities that can be used to dilute the residual impurities in scrap. Their value is greater than the value of their iron content alone.
Pig iron production - blast furnace
Modern blast furnaces produce more than 10,000 tonnes per day.
Pig iron production - ilmenite
Ilmenite is a weakly magnetic ore of titanium oxide and iron oxide
HBI production
DRI is fed into rollers to produce mostly single HBI briquettes
DRI production
Direct reduction of iron is the removal of oxygen from iron ore in the solid state, without melting
More information on OBMs
For answers to the most common technical questions on OBMs and their use and effects in different furnaces, see our OBM FAQs or download our fact sheets ‘What are OBMs?’ or ‘Uses and Benefits of OBMs’.
Images courtesy of Midrex
Fact sheets on ore-based metallics
What are Ore-Based Metallics?
An overview of Ore-Based Metallics (OBMs), types, typical benefits in use and general specifications.
Use and Benefits of Ore-Based Metallics
A more detailed coverage of the benefits of using OBMs in EAF steelmaking.
Use of Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) in the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) for Steelmaking
Background to and advantages of use of HBI in the EAF and general characteristics.
Use of Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) in the Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) for Steelmaking
Background to and advantages of use of HBI in the BOF and general characteristics.
Use of Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) in the Blast Furnace (BF) for Hot Metal Production
Background to and reasons for use of HBI in the blast furnace and general characteristics.
Use of Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) in the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) for Steelmaking
Background to and advantages of use of DRI in the EAF and general characteristics.
Use of Basic Pig Iron in the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) for Steelmaking
Background to and advantages of use of pig iron in the EAF and general characteristics.
Use of Granulated Pig Iron (GPI) in the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) for Steelmaking
Background to and advantages of use of GPI in the EAF and general characteristics.
Use of High Purity Pig Iron for Foundries Producing Ductile Iron Castings
Background to and benefits of using HPPI in production of ductile iron castings and general characteristics.
Use of Foundry Pig Iron in Grey Iron Castings
Background to and benefits of using Foundry Pig Iron in production of grey iron castings and general characteristics.
Relevance of Iron Ore to OBMs
Basic information about iron ore and its relevance to production of ore-based metallics.
Value-in-Use of Ore Based Metallics (OBMs) in EAF Steelmaking
An overview of the value-in-use concept and IIMA's model
