The History of Steel

Steel has become one of the most important materials in our modern society, building everything from homes and skyscrapers to machinery, cars, and roads. It is also used in many healthcare supplies, and in places like restaurants and factories for sterile food preparation surface. There are a number of steel products available now from steel mills and at places like Wasatch Steel. With all of these modern applications, it is sometimes easy to forget where it came from and how it has become such an amazing and versatile material. Here is a brief history of steel, and some steel basics on how we use it today.

It Started with Iron
The use of one of the core ingredients in steel—iron—began several centuries ago, with the earliest known use about 2000 B.C. For centuries, iron was used to implement weapons and build fortresses because it was stronger and more durable than bronze, which was the previously preferred metal, and it can be fashioned into a sharper edge. It is also one of the most abundant natural elements on the earth, account for more than five percent of the Earth’s crust.

For centuries, blacksmiths would take iron ore and through a process of smelting, extract the iron and fashion it into something useful. The end product was wrought iron, meaning iron that someone had hammered and worked on.

The Industrial Revolution
The process was refined over several centuries, and the creation of things like a blast furnace made iron production easier and more efficient. All iron contains carbon, and a carbon content between 0.2 and 1.5 percent is the ideal range to get strong, durable, flexible steel that is not as brittle as cast iron. Although many knew about the superiority of steel over other iron, it required a long and tedious process to create the metal, and thus steel production was very limited.

In the mid-1800s a British metallurgist Sir Henry Bessemer developed what became known as the Bessemer process, which blew compressed air through molten metal, emptying the iron of carbon and silicon in a matter of minutes and maintaining the high level of heat that kept the iron malleable. The process was refined over the next few years to ensure the right levels of carbon, phosphorus, and other elements to create strong, durable steel. Industries like the railroad provided instant demand for the new product, and the list of products that have been made better or more affordable because of cheap steel is growing.

Steel In Our Modern World
Today the presence of steel is everywhere, from public transportation and railroads, to pipelines, oil refineries, power plants, increasingly taller and safer skyscrapers, transportation, vehicles, buses, appliances, tools, military vehicles, farm equipment, basic utensils, surgical instruments, and much, much more.

It is often preferred over other metals because it is widely available, affordable, and recyclable, making it an eco-friendly choice. In addition, it has one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios, so it’s a tremendous value for the money.

No matter what you are planning to build today using steel, you can find what you need from the steel supermarket at Wasatch Steel. Find out why it has become the preferred building material of both large and small contractors, as well as do-it-yourself enthusiasts everywhere. Check out all of the new, used, and excess prime selections when you need to buy steel.