The blast furmace raw materials and their preparation: sintering, pelletizing, briquetting. Trends in coke function and coke quality indexes. Burden profile and materials distribution control system: the blast furnace profile and movement of material and gases. The thermodynamic, kinetic and thermal processes of blast furnace cohesive and raceway zone. Blast furnace slags. Removal of sulphur, carburization of pig iron. Challenges of the blast furmace ironmaking: factors govering blast furnace productivity, factors govering coke rate.