 The "akome" ironsand is used in the tatara to make pig iron, which is then used to make items out of cast iron ("nabegane").In the manufacture of steel, the "akome" was added to the tatara during the initial stage of smelting, acting as a binder and catalyst for steel production, upon which the "masa" ironsand was poured during further stages.When smelted for pig iron, 1000 pounds of sand (~ 450 kilograms or 120 "kanme") typically yielded about 200 pounds of pig iron, 20 pounds of steel, and 70 pounds of slag.