Bessemer process
The Bessemer process, developed in the 1850s by English engineer Henry Bessemer, was a pioneering method for producing inexpensive steel in large quantities. This innovation involved blowing air through molten iron, which effectively removed carbon and impurities, transforming cast iron into a new type of steel. By adding Spiegeleisen, a manganese-rich cast iron, after the initial refining, Bessemer was able to enhance the steel's properties by counteracting the effects of residual oxygen and sulfur. Before this process, common construction materials were either cast iron, which was brittle and high in carbon, or wrought iron, which was more workable but low in carbon. The resulting "mild steel" became known for its reliability and durability, making it widely applicable in construction, particularly for rails, ship plates, and girders. The Bessemer process significantly influenced the steel industry and contributed to advancements in various engineering fields, marking a shift from traditional methods to mass production.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Bessemer process
The Bessemer process was the first method for producing large quantities of inexpensive steel.
Definition
In the 1850s, Henry Bessemer, looking for a way to improve cast iron, stumbled upon a way to make a new kind of steel. By blowing air through molten iron in a crucible, he was able to burn off the carbon and many harmful impurities, and then the iron was heated to the point that it could be poured into molds.
Bessemer eventually learned to add Spiegeleisen, a manganese-rich cast iron, to the molten iron after the carbon and impurities were burned off. The manganese countered the effects of the remaining traces of oxygen and sulfur, while the carbon (always present in cast iron) helped create the properties of steel.
Overview
Prior to the late 1850s, there were two common iron-based construction materials. One was cast iron, an impure, brittle, high-carbon material used in columns, piers, and other load-bearing members. The other was wrought iron, a workable, low-carbon material used in girders, rails, and other spans. The word “steel” usually referred to a custom material produced in very small quantities by adding carbon to high-quality wrought iron.
Bessemer’s resulting product, which came to be known as “mild steel,” proved to be reliable and durable. Because of these qualities and because it could be produced in large quantities, mild steel quickly found widespread use in rails, ship plates, girders, and many other applications, often replacing wrought iron.
"Bessemer Process." Britannica, 2 Dec. 2024, www.britannica.com/technology/Bessemer-process. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
"The Bessemer Process: Revolutionizing Steelmaking and Industrialization." Endura Steel, 14 July 2023, endura-steel.com/the-bessemer-process-revolutionizing-steelmaking-and-industrialization/. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
Ramirez, Ainissa. "Bessemer's Volcano and the Birth of Steel." American Scientist,www.americanscientist.org/article/bessemers-volcano-and-the-birth-of-steel. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.