Bessemer Process
summary and definition of the bessemer process
Bessemer Process: The age of iron to the age of steel
Steel making and the bessemer process
Background history of the bessemer process for kids: William Kelly
Also invention known as Bessemer Process: Making steel stronger and cheaper
Enabled the move from age of iron to age of steel
Industrial revolution advanced with technological advancements
brought into production in 1860s
he invented a large, pear-shaped receptacle called a converter and utilized a blast of air in a de-carbonization process to create the steel from iron
Created in England by Henry Bessemer in 1855
Sidney Gilchrist Thomas
Bessemer Process: The Converter
Bessemer Process: The phosphorus problem
Bessemer process for kids: brief history of iron and steel
Bessemer process for kids: Henry Bessemer
Lowered cost of steel
creation of modern steel
method for making steel by blasting compressed air through molten iron
new methods made in the 17th century
up to 3 tons of expensive coke was burnt for each ton of blister steel that was produced
Steel was originally made in blast furnaces
had the idea that fuel would be necessary after the iron was melted if powerful blasts of air were forced into the fluid metal.
This became known as the Bessemer process
in 1847 William Kelly experimented processes for converting iron into steel
His involvement with steel began during the crimean war when henry was working on the problem of how to create more durable cannons for the British Navy
Steel was the obvious choice of metal to replace cast iron, but it was expensive to produce, until he developed the Bressemer Process
process is named after Henry Bessemer
Large pear shaped receptacle
Compressed air is blown onto the steel, ridding of the carbon and silicon
Designed in 1856
This made the steel brittle
They nearly had to result to Phosphorus free ore: which were expensive, but they didn't thanks to Sidney Gilchrist Thomas
It did not remove phosphorus
phosphorus foated to the top of the converter where it was skimmed off
This resulted in Phosphorus free steel
He discovered in 1876 that adding limestone to the converter drew phosphorus from the pig iron into the slag.
Significance and impact of the bessemer process
This led to many inventions, such as steam engines
We use it now for many items including Railroads, bridges, elevators, weapons, tools, nails, screws, tankers, etc.
The discoveries and improvements to they system allowed steel cheap and avaliable