Please Define the Following Key Terms

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The Answer is Pig iron is a basic form of iron that is produced by smelting iron ore along with charcoal or coke and limestone in a blast furnace. It is called "pig iron" because the traditional shape of the molds used for the ingots was a branching structure formed in sand, with many individual ingots at right angles to a central channel or runner. The ingots, or "pigs," appeared to be suckling from a "sow," which is the central channel.

Pig iron has a very high carbon content, typically 3.8–4.7%, along with silica and other constituents of dross, which makes it very brittle and not useful directly as a material except for limited applications. It is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. The carbon and silicon content are reduced to the desired levels for steel or iron production through further refining processes, such as decarburization and desiliconization.

Pig iron is used for making steel and can also be used to manufacture wrought iron or processed into cast iron goods. Its primary purpose is to be remelted and combined with other materials to produce various types of iron and steel alloys.

Please Define the Following Key Terms

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