Pig Iron Price Today
Live Pig Iron rates — Basic, Foundry and Nodular (SG) grade.
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Pig iron is a primary product produced in the initial stages of ironmaking by reducing iron ore. It has a high carbon content, typically between 3.5% and 4.5%, along with elements such as silica, manganese, sulfur, phosphorus, titanium and other trace substances.
There are three main types of pig iron: BASIC PIG IRON, mainly used in electric arc steelmaking; FOUNDRY PIG IRON, primarily employed in the production of grey iron castings in cupola furnaces; and NODULAR PIG IRON (SG GRADE), used to make ductile iron castings.
Pig iron plays a crucial role in steel production, foundry operations, alloy manufacturing, and the production of automotive and various other iron-based castings.
Its usefulness comes from being made in one step from ore, so its chemistry is known and consistent. Steel scrap is not: it carries copper, tin, nickel and whatever else went into the products it came from, and those elements cannot be refined out. Charging pig iron alongside scrap dilutes them and lets a melter hold a specification that scrap alone would not support. The high carbon also contributes energy in an induction or electric arc furnace, reducing the power drawn per tonne of liquid metal.
The three types are not interchangeable, and the difference is chemistry rather than quality. Basic pig iron is low in silicon and made for steelmaking. Foundry pig iron carries deliberately higher silicon so that grey iron solidifies with the graphite structure a casting needs. Nodular or SG grade is held low in sulphur, phosphorus and manganese, because magnesium treatment for ductile iron will not work properly if sulphur is high.
Pig iron is produced in a blast furnace from iron ore, coke and limestone, so its cost follows coking coal and iron ore prices. Buying the wrong type is an expensive mistake: foundry grade in a steel melt puts silicon where it is not wanted, and basic grade in a cupola will not give a sound grey iron casting.
Grades & Specifications
Pig Iron Types
| Type | Primary Use |
|---|---|
| Basic Pig Iron | Electric arc steelmaking |
| Foundry Pig Iron | Grey iron castings (cupola furnaces) |
| Nodular Pig Iron (SG Grade) | Ductile iron castings |
Applications & End Uses
- Charge material in induction and electric arc furnace steelmaking (Basic grade)
- Diluting copper, tin and other tramp elements that scrap introduces
- Grey iron castings produced in cupola furnaces (Foundry grade)
- Ductile / SG iron castings after magnesium treatment (Nodular grade)
- Automotive castings — engine blocks, housings, brake components
- Pipe, fittings and municipal castings
- Alloy manufacture and as a carbon and iron source in specialist melts
Buying Pig Iron: What to Check
Buy the type, not just 'pig iron'
Basic is for steelmaking, Foundry for grey iron castings, Nodular for ductile iron. They differ in silicon, sulphur, phosphorus and manganese, and substituting one for another either spoils the casting or puts unwanted elements into the steel. State the type on the enquiry.
Sulphur decides whether SG grade will work
Ductile iron is made by treating the melt with magnesium, and magnesium is consumed by sulphur before it can nodularise the graphite. High sulphur means more magnesium, a less reliable treatment and, often, a rejected casting. Check the sulphur figure on the certificate before the heat, not after.
Silicon is a specification, not a contaminant
Foundry grade carries higher silicon on purpose, because grey iron needs it to solidify with the right graphite structure. That same silicon is an unwanted addition in a steel melt. Read the silicon line in the context of what you are making.
Count the carbon as energy
At 3.5-4.5% carbon, pig iron brings chemical energy into an induction or arc furnace and lowers the electricity drawn per tonne. When comparing pig iron against scrap on price alone, that saving is usually left out of the calculation.
Use it to control tramp elements
The strongest case for pig iron is rarely price parity with scrap. It is that copper and tin cannot be removed once they are in the melt, and a measured pig iron addition dilutes them enough to hold a grade the scrap could not.
Pig Iron — Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pig Iron?
Pig iron is the primary product of ironmaking — iron ore reduced in a blast furnace. It carries a high carbon content, typically 3.5-4.5%, along with silicon, manganese, sulphur, phosphorus and trace elements, and it is used as a charge material in steelmaking and foundry work.
What are the three types of Pig Iron?
Basic pig iron, used mainly in electric arc steelmaking; Foundry pig iron, used for grey iron castings in cupola furnaces; and Nodular or SG grade, used to make ductile iron castings. They differ in silicon, sulphur, phosphorus and manganese and are not interchangeable.
Why use Pig Iron instead of scrap?
Because its chemistry is known and clean. Scrap carries tramp elements such as copper and tin that cannot be refined out and that limit the grades you can make. Pig iron dilutes them, and its carbon also contributes energy to the melt.
What makes SG grade Pig Iron different?
It is held low in sulphur, phosphorus and manganese. Ductile iron is produced by treating the melt with magnesium, and sulphur consumes magnesium before it can turn the graphite into nodules. Low sulphur is what makes the treatment reliable.
Why does Foundry Pig Iron contain more silicon?
Silicon promotes the graphite structure that grey iron castings need as the metal solidifies. It is a deliberate part of the specification for foundry work, and equally a reason not to use foundry grade in a steel melt.
How much carbon does Pig Iron contain?
Typically between 3.5% and 4.5%. That is far above steel, which is why pig iron is a charge material rather than a finished product — and why it brings useful chemical energy into an induction or electric arc furnace.
What drives Pig Iron prices?
It is made in a blast furnace from iron ore, coke and limestone, so the cost follows coking coal and iron ore prices, along with scrap prices, since the two compete as furnace charge.
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