1.

Iron and Steel

A. Read the following passage

The earth contains a large number of metals which are useful to

man. One of the most important of these is iron. Modern industry needs
considerable quantities of this metal, either in the form of iron or in the
form of steel. A certain number of non-ferrous metals, including alluminum
and zinc, are also important, but even today the majority of engeering
products are of iron or steel. Moreover, iron possesses magnetic
properties, which have made the development of eleclectrical power
possible.
The iron ore which we find in the earth is not pure. It contains some
impurities which we must remove by smelting. The process of smelting
consists of heating the ore in a blust furnace with coke and limestone, and
reducing it to metal. Blasts of hot air enter the furnace from the buttom
and provide the oxygen which is necessary for the reduction of the ore.
The ore becomes molten, and its oxides combine with carbon from the coke.
The non-metalic constituents of the ore combine with the limestone to form
a liguid slag. This floats on top of the molten iron, and passes out of the
furnace through a tap. The metal which remains is pig-iron.
We can melt this down again in another furnace – a cupola – with
more coke and limestone, and tap it out a ladle or directly into moulds. This
is cast iron. Cast iron does not have the strenght of steel. It is brittle and
may fricture under tension. But it possesses certain properties which make
it very useful in the manufacture of machinery. In the molten state it is
very fluid, and therefore it is easy to cast it into intricate shapes. Also it
is easy to machine it. Cast iron contains small properties of other
substances. These non-metalic constituents of cast-iron include carbon,
silicon and sulphur, and the presence of these substances affects the
behaviour of the metal. Iron which contais a negligible quantity of carbon,
for example wrought-iron, behaves differently from iron which contains a
lot of carbon.
 The carbon in the cast-iron is partly as free graphite and partly as
a chemical combination of iron and carbon which we call cementite. This is a
very hard substance, and it makes the iron hard too. However, iron can
1
only hold about 1 % of cementite. Any carbon content above that
2
percentage is present in the form of a flacky graphite. Steel contain not
1
free graphite, and its carbon content ranges from almost nothing to 1 %.
2
We make wire and tubing from mild steel with a very low carbon content,
and drills and cutting tools from high carbon steel.

Comprehension

a. Answer the following questions:

1. Where is the iron found? The iron found in the earth

2. In what form of the iron is firstly found? Iron is found in the form of
metal
3. How to process the iron ore into pig-iron? Pig-iron is produced by
smelting or iron ore in blast furnaces
4. What does the process of smelting (iron ore into pig iron) consist of?
Explain! In smelting iron ore into pig iron, coke and limestone are used.
The oxide from the molten iron combined with the carbon from the coke.
Meanwhile, non-metal constituents combine with limestone to form liquid
slag.
5. How to process pig-iron into cast-iron? Explain! Pig iron obten of
smelting process then it is smelted again in another furnace- a copula-
with more coke and limestoned and tap it out a ladle or directly into
moulds.
6. Why is cast-iron easy to cast into intricate shapes? Because the cast
iron doesn’t have the strenght of steel. It is brittle and may fricture
under tension. And in the molten state it is very fluid, so it is easy to
cast Into intricate shapes
7. How can the non-metalic constituents of cast iron, i.e. carbon, silicon
and sulphur, affects the behaviour of the metal?
- High carbon content makes cast iron brittle and non mealable
- The silicon content determines how many part of the carbon are
bonded to the iron and how many parts form graphite(free carbon
once the state established)
 - Sulfur caused blow holes as a result of forming bonds with carbon and
decreases fluidity, thereby reducing the ability to cast iron.
8. In what kind of steel is used for wire and tubing? Why? Wire and tubing
are made from mild steel with a very low carbon contain. Because The
structure is in the form of ferrite and less ferrite, it is relatively low
strenght,soft,and easy to form.
9. In what kind of steel is used for making drills and cutting tools? Why?
Drills and cutting tools are made from high carbon steel. Because it is
stronger and harder

b. Complete the paragraph with the following words/phrases:

- experiment - properties - needs
- possesses - temperatures

- Every metal (1) possesses certain properties or characteristics or

qualities which we can find by (2) experiment . These (3) properties
may make the metal suitable or unsuitable for any particular purpose.
Designer of high-speed aircraft (4) needs new materials with special
properties such as heat resistance and strenght at high (5)
temperatures.

c. Choose one of the words to complete the paragraph

We smelt/melts/smelted/smelting iron ore by heat, and change the

ore into pig-iron. During smelt/melts/smelted/smelting the temperatur in
the furnace is raised , and the iron smelt/melts/smelted/ smelting. When
the ore is smelt/melts/smelted/smelting, it becomes pig-iron.
Task
Explain the process of smelting the iron ore into cast-iron.

A. Language Focus
1. Enable, Allow, Permit, Cause, Make, Let, etc. + Infinitive

Enable/allow/permit/cause + infinitive with “to”. (to write/to learn/ to

exemine)
Make/let + infinitive without “to”

Enable really means to make possible, but it is often used in the same sense
as allow and permit. Let and make, the word ‘to’ is not used before the
infinitive, but Let is usually used in spoken, not often in written in this sense.
Example:
1) The microscope enables scientists to exemine very small objects.
2) Good production methods enable the factory to manufacture more
cars.
3) Expansion joints permit / allow the pipes to expand.
4) Safety valves permit / allow the steam to escape from the boiler.
5) Weaknesses in the metal cause it to fracture under tension.
6) The heat makes the metal melt.
7) Weakness in the metal made it fracture under tension.

2. Comparative

Here are some of the most usefull patterns for comparing two things

Stronger
far stronger
slightly stronger
Steel is more expensive than cast-iron.
much more expensive
a much more expensive material
a much more expensive material to produce
Weaker
less expensive
Cast-iron is than steel
much less expensive
a much less expensive material
a much less expensive material to produce
 not so expensive
not quit so expensive
Cast-iron is as steel
not quit such an expensive material
not quit such an expensive material to produce

as useful
Cast-iron Is almost as useful as steel.
almost as a useful material

Exercise 1:
Complete these statements using the verbs shown in language focus 1 above.
1. The rise in temperature caused the mercury to rise up The motorway enables
motorists to travel from London to Birmingham much more quickly than before.
2. The use of tractors cause more food to be produced more cheaply.
3. The presence of oxygen ......................... the mixture .................. burn rapidly.
4. The failure of both engines ...................... the aircraft ...................... crash.
5. The increase in exports ............. the country ............... import more raw materials.
6. The risk of an explosion ................ the workers ............... leave the factory.
7. The speed of the train ................ it ................... leave the rails on the curve.
8. The fluidity of cast-iron ................. it .................... be cast into intricate shapes.
9. The use of a pressure gauge ............. the engineer ................ read the boiler pressure.
10. The sharp rise in temperature ................... the engine .................. overheat.
11. The presence of nonmetalic constituents in iron .................... it .................. behave in
various ways.
12. Rapid cooling ........................ unequal contractions ................... occur in the metal.
13. The growth of indusrial towns ............... many people .............. leave the countryside.
14. The differential gear ................. the two rear wheels .............. turn at different speeds.

Exercise 2:
Join the two statements in each line below by comparing one with the other such as seen
in language focus 2 above.
1. The carbon content of mild steel is 0.2%; the carbon content of cast steel is 1.2%.
2. Wrought iron contains 0.02% of carbon; it contains 0.02% of maganese .
3. The British engine weighs 3 tons; the French engine weighs 3.5 tons.
4. The electric heater costs a penny an hour to run; the gas heater costs two pence an
hour.
5. Cast iron contains up to 3.0% of silicon; it contains up to 1.5% of phosphorous.
6. The temperature in this room is 28°C; the temperature outside the room is 22°C.
7. My watch works very well; my brother’s watch works very badly.
8. The journey takes four hours by day; it takes five hours at night.
9. Alcohol is not often used in thermometers; mercury is used very often in
thermometers.
10. Alcohol boils at 78°C; water boils at 100°C.
11. Aluminium has a coeficient of expansion of 0.000025; copper has a coeficient of
expansion of 0.000017.
12. The steel workers recieve 30 shillings pershift; the coal miners recieve 30 shillings
pershift too.