Ferrous metals are those that contain iron as the base metal The properties of ferrous metals may be changed by adding various alloying elements. The chemical and mechanical properties need to be combined to produce a metal to serve a specific purpose. The basic ferrous metal form is pig iron. Pig iron is produced in a blast furnace that is charged with an iron ore, coke, and hematite, limonite, magnetite and faconite. limestone. The four principal iron ores are