Final answer:
The result of refining iron ore in a blast furnace is molten iron, which is primarily cast as steel. The molten iron is first cast as cast iron, containing several impurities that are removed before further refining and alloying to create various types of steel.
Step-by-step explanation:
The more advanced iron refinery that utilizes a blast furnace results in the production of molten iron, which is typically then cast as steel. Within a blast furnace, various temperature zones enable different chemical reactions; carbon monoxide is formed and rises to reduce iron oxides to pure iron. Consequently, the primary output of the blast furnace is molten iron which includes impurities like carbon, sulfur, phosphorus, and silicon.
These impurities are later removed in separate processes to refine the iron and, with additional alloying elements and carbon content adjustments, to produce steel with various properties and applications. Therefore, the type of iron obtained directly from the blast furnace is cast iron, which contains a higher percentage of carbon and forms a preliminary product before additional refining to create steel.