The metallurgical industrial complex of any developed country consists not only of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, but also includes production processes that begin with the extraction of raw materials and end with the release of finished products. For a long time, ferrous metal has been the most used material in all areas of the world economy. The main raw materials for ferrous metallurgy include iron ore, coking coal, manganese and alloy metal ores.
The composition of ferrous metallurgy includes the following main technological processes: mining and enrichment of ore and non-ore raw materials for ferrous metallurgy, coke industry, obtaining the necessary concentrates and the main technological process with obtaining pig iron, steel, rolled metal, metal powders, pipes and others. In addition, this includes the recycling of scrap and waste of ferrous metals.
Production in a metallurgical complex can have a full cycle, which is created at plants, where all stages of the technological process operate simultaneously. At the enterprises of incomplete cycle, some stages of the technological process operate. Such enterprises are called processing plants and, for example, produce steel sheets, but do not produce pig iron. An incomplete cycle operates in electrometallurgy.
Metallurgy is the basic industry for all areas of human industrial activity. It is characterized by high consumption of materials, energy consumption and capital intensity of the production process. Ferrous and non-ferrous metals make up more than 90 percent of the volume of structural materials used in mechanical engineering. Metallurgy is one of the most environmentally hazardous and problematic industries. Production in this branch is associated with emissions of harmful gases into the atmosphere and water bodies. The share of ferrous metallurgy enterprises in air pollution by industrial emissions is 15-20 percent of the total. The resulting huge masses of waste are utilized only 34 percent. However, the most dangerous emissions are inherent in by-product coke production. It is important to take into account phenols, ammonia, benzopyrene, hydrocyanic acid and others. Achievements of scientific and technological progress in recent years have significantly improved production technologies in order to reduce energy consumption and environmental pollution.
