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The Ardis Furnace is an abandoned experimental blast furnace located at the northeast corner of Aragon and Antoine Streets (accessible from US-2) in Iron Mountain, Michigan, United States. The Ardis Furnace was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The 40-horsepower blast engine and other parts of the furnace were from another (failed) iron-sand smelting venture, the New Zealand Titanic Steel and Iron Company, which was led by Edward Smith [35] and had erected a blast furnace at Te Henui near New Plymouth. [7] [8] [9] There were also two boilers and water pumps to keep the tuyeres cool. [34]
In a blast furnace, fuel , ores, and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while a hot blast of air (sometimes with oxygen enrichment) is blown into the lower section of the furnace through a series of pipes called tuyeres, so that the chemical reactions take place throughout the furnace as the material falls downward.
The product of the blast furnace is pig iron, which contains 4–5% carbon and usually some silicon. To produce a forgeable product, a further process was needed (usually described as fining, rather than refining). From the 16th century, this was undertaken in a finery forge.
The coking plant that feeds a battery of blast furnaces is just as expensive as the blast furnace and requires a specific quality of coal. [ 63 ] [ 64 ] Conversely, many direct-reduction processes are disadvantaged by the costly transformation of ore into pellets: these cost on average 70% more than raw ore. [ 65 ]
Blast furnace 3, including the cast house, is one of the main components of the museum and features numerous information plates, exhibition pieces and documentary films on monitors. The blast furnace also serves as an observation platform. An elevator has been installed. A colorful light installation illuminates the blast furnace at night.
John Wilkinson was born in Little Clifton, Bridgefoot, Cumberland (now part of Cumbria), the eldest son of Isaac Wilkinson and Mary Johnson. Isaac was then the potfounder at the blast furnace there, [3] one of the first to use coke instead of charcoal, which was pioneered by Abraham Darby.
The Whyalla Steelworks was opened in May 1941 with the first blast furnace 'blown in'. A shipyard was also constructed, designed to aid the British Commonwealth's efforts in World War II. After the war, the steelworks and shipyards continued to produce a range of products including rail track and maritime vessels for commercial use.