The history of steel
More than 4,000 years ago: the first steel
Steel is one of the world's most important materials for basic applications and has permeated every aspect of human life, from infrastructure and transportation to tin cans for storing food. over 4,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians discovered meteoric iron and utilized this “gift from the gods” for decorative purposes. more than 2,000 years later, humans began to produce iron from mined iron ore. More than 2,000 years later, humans began to produce iron from mined iron ore.
Iron smelting dates back to 1800 B.C. in India. The Hittites of Anatolia began smelting iron around 1500 BC. In about 1200 BC, the Hittite Kingdom fell, and the tribes dispersed to Europe and Asia with their knowledge of iron smelting, thus the “Iron Age” began.
Third century B.C.: Ancient Craftsmanship
Iron Age craftsmen did not know the chemical process of smelting iron and steel; the smelting process was mysterious and the results depended on the skill of the blacksmith. The more skillful were the blacksmiths of South India. As early as the 3rd century B.C., they smelted cooked iron in charcoal-heated crucibles to produce “Uzi steel”, a material that is still known for its quality today.
War was the driving force behind the development of steel
Warfare was a driving force in the early development of steel, as armies needed powerful and durable weapons and armor. Many implements, including swords, axes, saws and chisels, became more durable and efficient when made of steel.
12th Century: Blast Furnace Steelmaking
In the 12th century, processes such as blast furnace steelmaking had already begun to appear in Asia. Most steelmakers of the era had learned to produce steel by carburizing, a process in which carbon powder was infiltrated into the surface of wrought-iron rods over a long period of time to increase the carbon content of the alloy. This process could take days or weeks. Despite the increasing demand for steel, steelmaking remained a slow, time-consuming and expensive process. By the 15th century, steel was widely used throughout the world.
1740: Crucible Ironmaking Increases Production
In 1740, an enigmatic and highly creative young Englishman, Benjamin Huntsman, revealed the new crucible iron-making process to the cutlery merchants of northern England. The application of clay crucibles, or crucibles, allowed the melting temperature of the bars to be high enough to meet the requirements of the carburizing process, while at the same time being able to cast the produced steel into uniform, high-quality ingots, which increased yields relative to the past. Although Huntsman's invention has not yet achieved the goal of producing high-quality steel at low cost and high yield, it still requires the continued efforts of future generations. But it was his technology that propelled Sheffield, England, to become one of the largest steelmaking centers of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The 18th Century: The Industrial Revolution leads to a technological revolution
As the Industrial Revolution progressed, the applications of iron and steel expanded. Steam pumps and the availability of coke made iron the new favorite building material, while steel provided sturdy tools for the age of powered machinery. Henry Cotter's technique of rolling thin plates was to open a new chapter in the steel industry. The rise of the London Metal Exchange (LME) signaled a boom in the trading of non-ferrous metals.
Metallic materials were vital to the development of trade and transportation, and the railroad and shipbuilding industries demanded higher quality metal parts. Henry Cotter, a supplier to the shipbuilding industry, developed two landmark production techniques to meet the needs of shipbuilding, which were patented in 1783 and 1784 respectively. The first was to improve the quality of the iron by stirring the molten pig iron in the churning furnace, a process that increased the toughness and reduced the brittleness of the metal by reducing the carbon content. The second technology was rolling the metal before obtaining the final product, which resulted in a more ductile and stronger metal than the traditional hammering process.
At the end of the 18th century, the seeds of steel were sown around the world with the wave of industrialization. Pioneers in North America, Japan and elsewhere brought with them advanced processes and technologies that promoted large-scale industrialized production. Not only did steel play a key role in the construction and transportation industries, but it also greatly contributed to the mechanization of agriculture. Steel plow trucks and steam-driven equipment gave agriculture a new look and ushered in the era of mechanization.
The 19th century: the advent of steel pipes and welding
In 1815, William Murdock connected a network of pipes made from discarded rifle chambers to carry gas for London's lighting system. His creation ushered in the age of steel tubing, which is now a fundamental material in modern society for the construction of infrastructure such as oil, steam and water transportation systems. The increasing demand for sealing of steel pipes has also promoted the development of welding technology and the development of new steel grades with good weldability, high temperature resistance and high strength. The progress of welding technology provides a solid guarantee for the wide application of steel pipe.
The advent of steel pipes and welding technology not only changed the way energy is transported, but also laid the foundation for the development of modern industry and construction. Their combination has made the transportation systems for oil, steam and water safer and more efficient, and has greatly contributed to the progress of society.
1880s: Towards industrialized production
The 1880s revolutionized the steel industry. The emergence of new technologies made mass production possible, and steel production was transformed from a slow and expensive manual process into continuous and efficient industrialized production. This not only improved the quality and consistency of steel, but also led to the rapid replacement of iron by steel in a wide range of applications, including railroads and building structures.
With innovations in steel production, huge power turbines and generators were built, and water and steam were used to provide further power for industrialization. This not only drove the process of industrialization, but also marked the dawn of the age of electricity, laying the foundation for the formation of a modern industrial society.
The 20th Century: The Dawn of the Steel Age
At the beginning of the 20th century, steelmaking became an important industry, and scientific advances unveiled the mystery of steel. 1901, John Pierpont Morgan bought Andrew Carnegie's steel company and formed U.S. Steel, which promoted the further development of the steel industry. 1912, two German engineers from Krupp invented stainless steel, and the application of alloy steel became more and more widespread, the steel industry ushered in a golden age.
1960s: Entering the Age of Appliances after the War
After the economic recession during World War II, trade and industry began to recover. Companies that had supplied steel for the production of tanks and battleships turned to meeting consumer demand for family cars and appliances. The period of population expansion also coincided with a real estate boom. As more and more people moved to the cities, buildings became more spacious and taller, and large quantities of steel were needed for main beams and reinforced concrete. By the 1960s, household appliances were increasingly used in homes, including refrigerators, freezers, washers, and dryers. There were also steel containers, which originated in 1955, providing a powerful and safe method of transportation by ship, road, and rail.
The course of steel development is not only a leap in material science, but also a display of human wisdom and courage. From the dawn of the Industrial Revolution to the splendor of modern industry, every technological breakthrough has profoundly affected the progress of society and human life. It is not only the change of materials, but also the evolution of civilization.
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