= Basic oxygen steelmaking
<Basic oxygen steelmaking> refines molten <pig iron> into <steel> by blowing high-purity <oxygen> into the bath. <Oxidation> lowers the <carbon> content and removes or redistributes other constituents. The reactions release <heat>, helping melt added recycled <steel>. The <basic oxygen furnace> is the vessel in which the operation takes place.<Steel Production by the American Iron and Steel Institute>[BF/BOF route and recycled steel input]{ref}
The word basic refers to the chemical character of the lining and <slag>, not to the simplicity of the process. A basic <slag> helps capture acidic oxides formed during refining. A useful process description must therefore track both the metallic product and the nonmetallic reaction products; a low final <carbon> content alone does not specify a steel's full <chemical composition>.
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