On: Making iron from sand [video]

[pfdietz]

Iron was originally produced without melting it at all. Instead, iron ore was reacted with reduced gases, and a flux (limestone) causes the silicate contaminants to melt instead. The solid iron that's obtained (sponge iron) is then forged into shape (and also beaten to remove residual silicates.)

[mod → pfdietz]

I googled it, and apparently we still do that, at least for some of the production.

[pfdietz → mod]

Yes, direct reduced iron (DRI). We may be moving back to it, too, when we move to green hydrogen as the reducing agent.