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http://dx.doi.org/10.12654/JCS.2020.36.2.07

A Study of the Iron Production Process through the Analysis of Slags Excavated from Bupyeong-ri, Inje, Korea  

Bae, Chae Rin (Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation Science, Kongju National University)
Cho, Nam Chul (Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation Science, Kongju National University)
Publication Information
Journal of Conservation Science / v.36, no.2, 2020 , pp. 143-151 More about this Journal
Abstract
In the present article, we have analyzed five slags excavated from the Unified Silla period iron smelting site, i.e., location 4-2 of the Inje Bupyeong-ri site, to investigate the iron smelting process. The total Fe content of the slag excavated from the Inje Bupyeong-ri site ranged between 3.65 and 23.78 wt%, lower than that of typical slag, and deoxidation agent of the slag ranged between 65.92 and 88.96 wt%, higher than that of typical slag. These results suggest that the recovery rate of iron was significantly high. Furthermore, cristobalite was detected in most of the samples, and the furnace temperature, estimated by substituting the analyzed data into the FAS and FCS state diagrams, was confirmed as 1,600℃ or more. These results suggest that the operation at the Inje Bupyeong-ri site was performed at a temperature capable of producing cast iron by completely melting the carbon-containing iron. Observation of the microstructure showed that the iron fragments excavated at the Inje Bupyeong-ri site were identified as white cast iron. Steadite from the ternary iron-carbon-phosphorus system was observed in the white cast iron structure. These results show that indirect smelting was performed when the iron smelting by-products were produced. Based on the analysis results, it was confirmed that the Inje Bupyeong-ri site was the indirect smelting site in the Unified Silla period.
Keywords
Slag; Indirect smelting; Iron manufacture; Pig iron; White cast iron;
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