Eli5 how was steel made/melted in ancient times? Coal wasn’t everywhere, was it?
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Most iron in the ancient world was smelted in a bloomery. The bloomery burns charcoal, which gets hot enough to separate the iron from the other impurities, but not enough to melt the iron. The impurities melt off as “slag” or “bloom”. The iron “sponge” is then heated and beaten to remove the remaining slag, then forged into whatever is needed.
About 300BC, blacksmiths in China figured out if you mixed the iron and charcoal, it dramatically lowers the melting point. Cast iron is much more brittle than forged iron due to the high carbon content, but can be cast like bronze and gold, which they were already using.
There was no steel in ancient times. Steel is a relatively new invention/discovery.
Given a less colloquial definition of ancient, anyway.
Most iron in the ancient world was smelted in a bloomery. The bloomery burns charcoal, which gets hot enough to separate the iron from the other impurities, but not enough to melt the iron. The impurities melt off as “slag” or “bloom”. The iron “sponge” is then heated and beaten to remove the remaining slag, then forged into whatever is needed.
About 300BC, blacksmiths in China figured out if you mixed the iron and charcoal, it dramatically lowers the melting point. Cast iron is much more brittle than forged iron due to the high carbon content, but can be cast like bronze and gold, which they were already using.
There was no steel in ancient times. Steel is a relatively new invention/discovery.
Given a less colloquial definition of ancient, anyway.
There was no steel in ancient times. Steel is a relatively new invention/discovery.
Given a less colloquial definition of ancient, anyway.
Back in the day, people made steel by heating up iron ore and charcoal in a furnace. Coal wasn’t even in the picture until the Industrial Revolution rolled around. They used charcoal as the main fuel source, but it wasn’t always available in every region.
Back in the day, people made steel by heating up iron ore and charcoal in a furnace. Coal wasn’t even in the picture until the Industrial Revolution rolled around. They used charcoal as the main fuel source, but it wasn’t always available in every region.
Back in the day, people made steel by heating up iron ore and charcoal in a furnace. Coal wasn’t even in the picture until the Industrial Revolution rolled around. They used charcoal as the main fuel source, but it wasn’t always available in every region.
Most ancient iron was never turned into steel, and a LOT of that which was was such poor quality and consistency that it almost didn’t matter.
Everyone waxes poetic over folded Japanese forging of swords, but the REASON they did that was because their metal was so much dogshit that the folding and forging made it at least comparable with a lot of European steel.
That said, when you apply those techniques to quality steel, you do end up with something amazing, now.
Most ancient iron was never turned into steel, and a LOT of that which was was such poor quality and consistency that it almost didn’t matter.
Everyone waxes poetic over folded Japanese forging of swords, but the REASON they did that was because their metal was so much dogshit that the folding and forging made it at least comparable with a lot of European steel.
That said, when you apply those techniques to quality steel, you do end up with something amazing, now.
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