What Is an Ingot?
An ingot is a mass of molten metal or alloy that is cast into a mold, cooled, and solidified. It serves as the primary material for various metal fabrication processes like rolling, extrusion, and machining.
There are two main categories of ingots based on their deoxidization levels: rimmed steel (insufficiently deoxidized) and killed steel (fully deoxidized). Killed steel is generally higher in quality due to reduced impurities compared to rimmed steel.
Uses of Ingots
Ingots are foundational materials for a wide range of metal products. Killed steel ingots, being of higher quality, are used in applications requiring durability and precision, such as in special steel and structural steel products.
Rimmed steel ingots, while lower in quality than killed steel, are cost-effective and used for general structural steel applications. They are also preferred for thin plates due to their fine cast surface.
Types of Ingots
Ingots vary in size, shape, and use and are categorized into ingots, blooms, slabs, and billets.
- Ingots
General raw material cast ingots, sized for versatile melting and processing. - Bloom
Blooms, with a rectangular or near-square cross-section, are used for steel strip rolling and as material for steel shapes like H steel. - Slab
Slabs, with square cross-sections, are used for rolling into thin sheets and plates at high temperatures. - Billet
Billets, mainly cylindrical, are used for extrusion processing to form tubes, rods, and various shapes.