Thermodynamics applied to iron smelting techniques

Thermodynamics allows us to understand the chemical reactions occurring inside an experimental archaeometallurgical shaft furnace for iron smelting. The production of an iron bloom, with the so-called direct process, is described in a daily pyrometallurgical cycle. The experiences suggest that, as higher and better blown furnaces were built for improving the production, different reactions have been involved and a new material, pig iron, has been obtained