also: ずくてつ
noun
pig iron
Technical term for crude iron as produced in a blast furnace, used as a raw material for steelmaking and cast iron.
銑鉄は高炉で生産される。
Pig iron is produced in a blast furnace.
この工場では銑鉄から鋼を作っている。
This factory makes steel from pig iron.
The kanji 銑 means 'pig iron' and 鉄 means 'iron'. The reading せんてつ is the standard Sino-Japanese reading; ずくてつ is a native Japanese reading of the same characters, now rare.