Factorio Forums

I've always wondered why steel didn't need coal.

We have coal, it's one of the first things mined and used, but the need for coal drastically declines once we start using electric equipment and get into refining to make solid fuel. After this, the only use for coal is Plastics. We also start needing steel as we advance, but it is only made from iron.

In real life, steel is made from iron and carbon (amount depending on how 'soft' the steel needs to be).
Coal is primarily carbon. So, why isn't coal + iron needed to make steel?

zytukin wrote:I've always wondered why steel didn't need coal.

We have coal, it's one of the first things mined and used, but the need for coal drastically declines once we start using electric equipment and get into refining to make solid fuel. After this, the only use for coal is Plastics. We also start needing steel as we advance, but it is only made from iron.

In real life, steel is made from iron and carbon (amount depending on how 'soft' the steel needs to be).
Coal is primarily carbon. So, why isn't coal + iron needed to make steel?

In real life steel is produced from raw iron (which is produced from ore) or scrap metal. Raw iron has a much higher carbon share, so you actually want to lose carbon if you process raw iron into steel.
Steel has an up to 2 % share, while cast and raw iron have higher values.

1. The way the furnace works in the game, you can only provide a single ingredient.
2. As Arch666Angel said, raw smelted iron actually has a higher carbon content than steel, the process of making steel actually removes carbon, not adding it. in fact, you really want a very specific quantity of carbon to make your steel, and other impurities are added too, though these are usually to make it "Stainless".

Also because games need to abstract from real life to stay "fun". In real life you cannot deconstruct at no cost... just as an example.

If you are looking for more complex production chains, I suggest bob's mods.

SirRichie wrote:If you are looking for more complex production chains, I suggest bob's mods.

And this is why I don't need to advertise my mods, other people do it for me

As others have pointed out, steel only has a little bit of carbon, the entire idea behind steel is to get a proper mix, which involves losing carbon, rather than adding to it. At least that's how it's usually done. Apparently there is a type of steel (Blister Steel) that involved increasing the carbon content of the iron, but I don't think it was used much.

In fact, the usage of coal (turned into coke) wasn't for adding carbon, but instead to provide heat and carbon monoxide. The monoxide is great for keeping things clear. The wiki page on steel even mentions that in the modern day electric arc furnaces are useful for turning scrap iron into steel.