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Steel was originally made in blast furnaces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