Bessemer process

Period

1856

Map

Inventions map

The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass production of steel from molten pig iron before the development of the open hearth furnace. The key principle is removal of impurities and undesired elements, primarily excess carbon, contained in the pig iron by oxidation with air being blown through the molten iron. Oxidation of the excess carbon also raises the temperature of the iron mass and keeps it molten. As virtually all the pig iron carbon is removed by the converter, carbon must be added at the end of the process to create steel. 0.25% carbon content is a typical value for low carbon steel which is used in construction and other low-stress applications.

Sources: Wikipedia — Bessemer process · CC BY-SA 4.0

Earlier and later events nearby

1. 1776Watt steam engine
2. 1796Jenner's smallpox vaccine
3. 1848The Communist Manifesto
4. 1856Bessemer processThis page
5. 1859On the Origin of Species
6. 1916Battle of the Somme
7. 1916Easter Rising

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