Iron processing Smelting, Refining, Alloying | Britannica
Iron processing Smelting, Refining, Alloying: The primary objective of iron making is to release iron from chemical combination with oxygen, and, since the blast furnace is much the most efficient process, it receives the most attention here. Alternative methods known as direct reduction are used in over a score of countries, but less than 5 percent of iron is made this way.