• Español
    • English
  • Argentina
  • Brazil
  • Central America
  • Colombia
  • Mexico
  • USA
  • Contact Ternium Activo

    USA

Main Menu

    Select your region

  • Argentina
  • Brazil
  • Central America
  • Colombia
  • Mexico
  • USA
Main Menu

    Select your language

  • Español
  • English

    Select your language

  • Español

    Select your language

  • Português

    Select your language

  • Español

    Select your language

  • Español

    Select your language

  • Español

    Select your language

  • English
Main Menu
  • Who we are
  • Ethical Commitment
  • Policies
  • Products and services
  • Construction
  • Made of Steel
  • Sustainability
  • Community
  • Environment and Energy efficiency
  • Industrial safety
  • Innovation
  • Research and Development
  • Industry 4.0
  • Global – NYSE: TX
  • Press Releases
  • Financial Information
  • Events
  • Stock Information & Coverage
  • Corporate Governance
  • Resources
  • Ternium Argentina (BYMA: TXAR)
  • Financial Information
  • Corporate Governance
  • Investor Contact
  • Careers
  • Ternium Culture
  • Academic Liaison
  • Programs
  • Media
  • News
  • Press releases
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy
Contact Ternium Activo

11 July 2022

Do you know how steel is made?

Share

Where do you think steel comes from? If you thought that it was simply lying around on the earth's surface like other metals, you’re wrong! Do you want to know how this iron-carbon alloy is made? Find out below.

You might have wondered what metal your kitchen pans are made of, or what the can that your tuna fish comes in is made from. Look no further: the answer is steel! Countless items that furnish our everyday lives are made from this material and it is essential for our economy and society.

Steel is made from an iron-carbon alloy, but it’s possible to add elements that enhance specific properties for greater hardness, malleability, or durability.

High-temperature furnaces are used to smelt the metal and ensure it alloys correctly with other components. There are two principal ways of producing steel in use today:

From iron

Iron is mined and extracted in raw form, known as iron ore, and taken to a blast furnace where it is smelted, separating off the impurities such as nitrogen, sulfur and excess carbon, to produce what’s known as pig iron. This is then heated at a high temperature and other alloying elements, including carbon, are added to the mixture to produce different grades of steel. The alloy is then subjected to a molding and cooling stage.

From scrap

Ferrous scrap, sourced from discarded iron and steel products, is sorted and shredded, before being taken to a large melting furnace at temperatures as high as 1,600°C. One of the by-products of this process is slag, used as an aggregate in civil construction works. The molten steel is poured into molds and proceeds to the cooling stage.

According to the World Steel Association, around 70% of the steel manufactured today is produced using the basic oxygen furnace method, which blows oxygen through molten pig iron to lower the carbon content of the alloy, resulting in low-carbon steel. Worldsteel explains that, “the industry has been hard at work, improving the efficiency of its operations; producing a ton of steel today takes 40% less energy than it did in 1960.”

Latest news

View all
  • 14 July 2025

    Steel in Your Everyday Life: More Present Than You Think

    Even if you don’t see it, steel is in every corner of your routine—from your first sip of coffee to your last yawn at night.

  • 03 July 2025

    A Year of Sustainable Achievements for Ternium

    The latest edition of Ternium’s Sustainability Report highlights the company’s main environmental, social, and economic initiatives in 2024. It also outlines the governance structures and mechanisms that guide the company’s operations.

  • 25 June 2025

    Iconic Steel Architecture: Buildings That Changed History

    Steel has shaped the modern world—quite literally. From the first skyscrapers to futuristic concert halls, this strong, versatile material has allowed architects to build higher, span longer distances, and create forms once thought impossible.

View all

Exclusive service portal for Ternium customers.

Are you a customer?
  • Compliance Line
  • Investors
  • Career
Select region & language
  • Terms & Conditions
  • FAQs
  • © Ternium 2025

© Ternium 2025

Our Site uses cookies. By using our Site (through any device) you agree that these rules on use of cookies apply. Further information on these cookies can be found in the Terms & Conditions.