Bessemer Converter

Bessemer Converter is a device in which the steel is manufactured from molten pig iron. The process involved is simple. According to the principle the impurities in the iron is oxidized by the oxygen of air that is blown through the molten iron. The oxidation heat raises the temperature of the mass and keeps it molten during operation.

The Bessemer converter in which the whole process is carried out is made of steel lined by silica and clay or of dolomite. The capacity of the converter vary. The converter has oval or egg shape which is narrow at upper end and has an opening through which the iron to be treated is introduced and the finished product is poured out.

From the perforations at the bottom the air is forced upward into the converter during operation. The container that is set on the pivots can be tilted to receive the charge, and inclined for pouring the molten steel after the operation is complete.

The passing of the air through the molten pig iron, various impurities like silicon, manganese, and carbon unite with the oxygen in the air to form oxides. when the phosphorus content is high, dolomite is used as the converter lining. In acid Bessemer the silica and clay lining is used. After the completion of oxidation another substance is usually added to the molten metal to provide steel the desired properties. After the completion of the process, the converter is then emptied into ladles from which the steel is poured into molds. However for the manufacturing of steel, the Bessemer process is superseded by the open-hearth process.