Creating Iron | HowStuffWorks
How Iron and Steel Work. Once it cools, this metal is known as pig iron. To create a ton of pig iron, you start with 2 tons ( metric tons) of ore, 1 ton of coke ( metric tons) and a half ton ( metric tons) of limestone. The fire consumes 5 tons ( metric tons) of air. The temperature at the core of the blast furnace reaches nearly 3,000...