Process for making stainless steel

In a process for making molten ferrous alloys containing from about 5.0% to about 30.0% by weight chromium, and up to about 25.0% by weight nickel and comprising the steps of introducing into a first vessel a charge consisting essentially of chrome ore, iron ore and a source of carbon, smelting said charge in said vessel by means of a submerged arc to provide an unrefined liquid ferrous alloy consisting essentially of about 5.0% to 30.0% by weight chromium, at least 2.0% by weight carbon, up to about 2.0% by weight silicon, the balance being essentially iron, transferring said liquid ferrous alloy from said first vessel to a second vessel, top blowing pure gaseous oxygen against said liquid alloy in said second vessel to partially reduce said silicon and carbon, continuing said oxygen blow until said carbon has been reduced to less than about 0.20% by weight, immediately thereafter finishing said refining by introducing gaseous oxygen and an inert gas or nitrogen into said liquid alloy below the surface thereof to bring the carbon content to the desired final level and making finishing additions and temperature adjustments to meet the desired final chemistry and tap temperature, the improvement comprising in combination therewith the steps of pre-reducing said chrome and iron ores prior to charging them into said first vessel and agglomerating said chrome and iron ores prior to charging them into said first vessel, said chrome ores being low grade chrome ores having a chrome to iron ratio of 3.5 and less and being usable for up to 100% of the chrome requirements, whereby said process may be practiced using one or two typical first submerged arc vessels for each typical second vessel.