Ferroalloys are produced by treating a material (ore or ore concentrate) with a substance that reduces oxides of basic chemical elements. Ore is used if it contains a lot of substances that can be used to reduce other elements. Otherwise, the finished ore concentrate is used. For example, ferrotungsten (the main grades are FeW65, FeW70, FeW70B) is obtained from wolframite and scheelite concentrates containing more than 55-65% tungsten trioxide (WO3), and ferromolybdenum (the main grades are FeMo52, FeMo55, FeMo58, FeMo60) is obtained from a molybdenum concentrate containing at least 53-58% molybdenum (Mo).
Crushed ore or concentrate is placed in a special ferroalloy electric furnace with a reducing agent (coal, coke, semi-coke, peat briquettes, etc.), which makes it more durable and active in the chemical process. In the process of smelting, the reducing agent extracts a useful (basic) element from the primary raw material and iron. It mixes with it and takes it out of the reaction zone, stopping the reverse processes. This makes it possible to obtain a ferroalloy with a high content of the desired chemical element. The final product can be in the form of ingots of different sizes, blocks, blanks, pellets, etc.