![How Iron and Steel Work Iron Ore | HowStuffWorks](/e69yszg/593.jpg)
How Iron and Steel Work Iron Ore | HowStuffWorks
Carbon and carbon monoxide combine with the oxygen in the iron ore and carry it away, leaving iron metal. In a bloomery, the fire doesn't get hot enough to melt the iron completely. Instead, the iron heats up into a spongy mass containing iron and silicates from the ore.