noun
molten iron; hot metal
Technical term used in ironmaking and steelmaking for liquid iron produced in a blast furnace, before refining into steel.
高炉から出た溶銑は、転炉で鋼に精錬される。
The molten iron tapped from the blast furnace is refined into steel in the converter.
Compound of 溶 (melt) and 銑 (pig iron). The spelling 熔銑 uses the character 熔 (melt), and 鎔銑 uses 鎔 (melt/mold), both older variants for melting.