Direct-reduction steelmaking processes that bring metal oxides into contact with carbon (typically those based on the use of hard coal or charcoal) also exploit this chemical reaction.
Processes that historically competed with blast furnaces, such as the Catalan forge, have been assimilated into this reaction.
But modern direct reduction processes are often based on the exclusive use of reducing gases: in this case, their name takes on the exact opposite meaning to that of the chemical reaction.
[2] This means that direct reduction most probably corresponds to the following chain of reactions:[1] This reaction accounts for around half of the transformation of wustite FeO into iron,[nb 1] and removes 30% of the total oxygen supplied, mainly in the form of iron oxide Fe2O3.
This can be written as:[7] In non-steel blast furnaces, dedicated to the production of ferroalloys, direct reduction is fundamental.