Steel Production
Definition
Steel production is the process of creating steel, an alloy of iron and carbon, from raw materials. This involves several stages including smelting iron ore to produce pig iron, then refining it into steel.
Analogy
Think of steel production like making a smoothie. You start with your base fruit (iron), add in some extras for flavor and nutrition (carbon), blend it all together (smelt and refine), and voila! You have a delicious smoothie (steel).
Related terms
Bessemer Process: A method developed in the 19th century for mass-producing steel by blowing air through molten pig iron to burn off impurities.
Open Hearth Furnace: A type of furnace where excess carbon and other impurities are burnt out of pig iron to produce steel.
Alloy: A metal made by combining two or more metallic elements, especially to give greater strength or resistance to corrosion. In this case, steel is an alloy of iron and carbon.
"Steel Production" appears in:
Subjects (2)
Study guides (2)
Practice Questions (3)
- Which invention during the Second Industrial Revolution significantly boosted steel production?
- How did steel production during the Second Industrial Revolution influence transportation systems in Europe?
- What might be different about steel production during the Second Industrial Revolution if Henry Bessemer's converter method was never discovered?
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