What is backyard furnace?

Backyard furnace, also known as a traditional coke oven, is a small-scale industrial furnace that is commonly used in rural areas for smelting iron or steel. It consists of a small brick-lined chamber that is heated by burning coal or wood. The furnace is typically operated by a group of people who work together to charge the furnace with raw materials, monitor the temperature and maintain the fire.

Backyard furnace was widely used in rural areas in China during the period of the Great Leap Forward (1958-1962) as a means of achieving rapid industrialisation. However, its large-scale use resulted in environmental degradation, including severe pollution from the harmful gases released during the smelting process.

In recent years, China has implemented policies to phase out backyard furnaces and replace them with cleaner and more efficient methods of steel production. Despite this, backyard furnaces are still used in some remote areas for small-scale production of metal products.