ANS:A - hot metal

"Hot metal" refers to the molten iron produced in a blast furnace during the iron-making process. When iron ore, coke (carbon), and fluxes (such as limestone) are fed into the blast furnace and subjected to intense heat and reducing conditions, the iron ore is reduced to molten iron. This molten iron, along with impurities and fluxes, collects at the bottom of the furnace and is periodically tapped off, typically into large ladles, while still in a molten state. This hot metal is then transported to the next stage of the steelmaking process, where it is further refined into steel.