Bessemer, Sir Henry
Published: August 18, 2006, 2:59 pm
Updated: August 18, 2006, 2:59 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Tom Lawrence
Sir Henry Bessemer (1813–1898), a noted British inventor and engineer, developed the first process for mass-producing steel inexpensively. Bessemer's story is often cited as an example of the military's drive for technological development. During the Crimean War (1853-56), the cast-iron cannons of the time were not strong enough to manage the forces of the more powerful shell. Thus, Bessemer developed an improved iron smelting process that produced large quantities of ingots of superior quality in which molten pig-iron could be turned directly into steel by blowing air through it in a converter. Bessemer's process was ten times faster than previous methods, and used no fuel once the charge had been melted, dramatically reducing the energy and monetary cost of steel production. Modern steel is made using technology derived from Bessemer's process.
Further Reading
Sir Henry Bessemer, F.R.S-An Autobiography (Rochester University)
Making the Modern World
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Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Tom Lawrence (Topic Editor) "Bessemer, Sir Henry". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 18, 2006; Last revised Date August 18, 2006; Retrieved May 24, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Bessemer,_Sir_Henry>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
Sir Henry Bessemer (1813–1898), a noted British inventor and engineer, developed the first process for mass-producing steel inexpensively. Bessemer's story is often cited as an example of the military's drive for technological development. During the Crimean War (1853-56), the cast-iron cannons of the time were not strong enough to manage the forces of the more powerful shell. Thus, Bessemer developed an improved iron smelting process that produced large quantities of ingots of superior quality in which molten pig-iron could be turned directly into steel by blowing air through it in a converter. Bessemer's process was ten times faster than previous methods, and used no fuel once the charge had been melted, dramatically reducing the energy and monetary cost of steel production. Modern steel is made using technology derived from Bessemer's process.
Further Reading
Sir Henry Bessemer, F.R.S-An Autobiography (Rochester University)
Making the Modern World
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