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Following the Iron Age, steel dates back several thousand years but has maintained its popularity as a building material. There are a number of reasons for this, from the variety of shapes that it can be formed into, to its strength and relatively low weight compared to other metals. But where did it come from, and how has it changed since its invention?
First let&#;s cover what steel actually is. Steel is an alloy that consists primarily of iron and a small amount (usually a few tenths of a percent) of carbon. Depending on the grade and type of steel, it can also have other elements such as chromium, manganese, or nickel. Different additives give the final metal desirable properties like increased hardness, corrosion resistance, and more. This flexibility has allowed steel to continue to adapt and be refined over the centuries and maintain its spot as the most widely-used metal in the world.
Going back to the beginning, we&#;ve found evidence of steel artifacts as far back as BC. However, the earliest signs of true steel production is from the 13th century BC in modern-day Turkey. Early steel had a wide range of how much carbon was in the metal, from less than 0.1% (low carbon steel) to 1% (high carbon steel), which could lead to the higher-carbon steel being very brittle. This brittleness can be reduced by tempering the steel, which is a form of heat treating that was used in Egypt as early as 900 BC.
The first type of steel created was called blister steel, because the initial process caused carbon monoxide gas to form in the metal, which worked its way to the surface and created &#;blisters.&#; While most early steel was considered carbon steel (having no other alloying elements besides iron and carbon), carbon steel wasn&#;t reliably and consistently produced until 500 AD in Demascus steel and Japanese swords.
While no one knows of one person (or even one culture) that invented steel first, the &#;Father of Steel&#; is widely considered to be Sir Henry Bessemer. An English engineer in the s, he played a huge role in the beginning of the modern steel industry. He developed the first process for inexpensively manufacturing steel, which eventually led to the invention of the Bessemer converter. A crucial part of the process, these converters allowed impurities to be removed from up to 30 tons of metal at a time, and improved the efficiency of the steel-making process.
There are a number of major ways that steel has evolved over the last several thousand years. One of these is improvements to the manufacturing process, with Henry Bessemer being among the biggest innovators. Another huge change to this process is that steel is now typically not made from scratch anymore, and is mostly recycled. Because of its ability to not lose any strength after being melted down and reformed, using scrap steel for production is increasingly common and makes production even more efficient. Not only that, but the technology behind steel recycling has improved to be more effective and environmentally friendly with the development of EAFs (electric arc furnaces) to replace traditional blast furnaces.
There are also countless different variations of steel now. From mild steel to stainless steel and dozens (or even hundreds) of different grades of everything in between, there is a steel for every job. By adding different elements, or different amounts of each element, the material can be completely tailored to fit a certain application or industry.
If you&#;re looking for premium structural carbon steel for your project, Service Steel can supply it. We&#;ve been in the business for almost 60 years and our massive inventory of steel products is ready to ship for a variety of manufacturing and construction projects.
The history of steel production and implementation can be traced back almost 4,000 years to the start of the iron age. The earliest archeological excavation of early examples are dated around BC; since then it has weathered the ages, weaving its way through the antiquity of the Roman Empire, the Spartans, Chinese dynasties, all way the way to countless modern applications. But who invented steel?
Although the &#;invention&#; of steel cannot be attributed to one particular person, by tracing the history of its production back through the ages we are allowed a snapshot of who are commonly associated with its inception and proliferation. Let&#;s take a look at the timeline of steel production.
13th century BC &#; The earliest evidence of steel production can be traced back to early blacksmiths in the 13th century who discovered that iron become harder, stronger and more durable when carbon was introduced after being left in coal furnaces.
6th century BC &#; Wootz steel was born in ancient India and can be traced as far back as the 6th century BC. Craftsmen in southern India used crucibles to smelt wrought iron with charcoal to produce &#;wootz&#; steel &#; a material that is still admired today for its sharp and tough nature, as well as the its most distinguishing feature: swirling patterns caused by bands of clustered Fe3C particles.
3rd century AD &#; China is commonly credited with being the first mass producers of high-quality steel. They likely used techniques similar to the Bessemer process, which was only developed and popularised in Europe in the 19th century. Early examples of high-quality steel in China can be traced back to the 2nd century BC, with mass production taking off in the 3rd century AD.
4th century AD &#; The Iron Pillar of Delhi, erected in roughly 402 AD, is the oldest surviving example of rust-resistant steel.
11th century &#; Damascus steel was developed in the Middle East in the 11th century, mainly used for manufacturing sword blades. Damascus blades were manufactured in the Near East from ingots of wootz steel that were imported from India and Sri Lanka. They were renowned for their capability to be honed to a very sharp edge and their resistance to shattering.
12th century &#; By the 12th century, Sri Lanka was the world&#;s largest supplier of crucible steel.
18th century &#; By the 18th century, steel was becoming widely renowned as an extremely valuable material with many uses. However, it was still quite expensive to make, and was produced in limited quantities for special applications like armour, tools and weaponry.
&#; Coke was first used to smelt iron ore on a mass scale, replacing wood and charcoal which were becoming increasingly scarce.
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&#; Thomas Newcomen builds first commercially successful steam engine. Alongside steam, steel leads the way towards the Industrial Revolution.
&#; The crucible steel technique is developed by English inventor Benjamin Huntsman.
&#; The power of stream reaches steel mills, meaning that they no longer needed to be close to water as was previously necessary.
&#; Englishman Henry Cort invents the steel roller for steel production.
&#; Welsh inventor Phillip Vaughn patents the design for the ballbearing to support the axle of a carriage.
&#; English engineer Henry Bessemer was born on 19 January (we&#;ll get to this later).
&#;s &#; Farming in America increasingly employs steel machinery for its strength and ability to cut through dense, sticky soil as migration drew to the west (see &#; John Deere)
&#; The Bessemer process is introduced. 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 being the removal of impurities from iron via oxidisation from air being blown through the molten iron. The less impurities, the stronger the steel.
&#; The open hearth furnace is introduced through a joint venture between Sir Carl Wilhelm Siemens, who developed the Siemens regenerative furnace in the s, and French engineer Pierre-Émile Martin, who applied this process to steel-making. In this process, excess carbon and other impurities are burnt out of pig iron to produce steel. The open hearth technique overcame the insufficient temperatures generated by normal fuels and furnaces, enabling steel to be produced in bulk for the first time.
s &#; Following the American Civil War, the country&#;s steel production grew with astonishing speed, led by Scottish-American industrialist, Andrew Carnegie.
&#; Tungsten steel arrives, invented by Robert Mushet.
&#;s &#; The first steel suspension bridge bridge (the Brooklyn Bridge) and first steel skyscraper (Home Insurance Building in Chicago) are opened.
20th century &#; World wars in the first half of the 20th century means steel production increased evermore.
&#; The invention of stainless steel by Harry Brearley from Sheffield.
s-60s &#; Significant developments made in steel-making processes which saw production shift from a focus on weapons and infrastructure to consumer goods and transport amongst many other things. These developments have continued ever since, with steel becoming increasingly ubiquitous in the modern world.
If you have a project in need of steel, whether it&#;s supply, fabrication, drafting, or installation, talk to the experts at Steel Fabrication Services. Give us a call today
Our team of experienced and knowledgeable professionals will ensure that whatever you need will be fabricated to the highest standards, according to your specifications, and delivered when you want and need it.
While you&#;re here, learn some more about the world of steel:
Why Steel Is Advantageous In Construction
Key Types Of Custom Steel Frames
5 Extraordinary Steel Staircases From Around The World
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