Steelmaking has been a learning path for the longest time.
On the lookout for creating something stronger than Bronze, steel came into the picture when a small amount of carbon is alloyed with iron. Steel contains almost 99 percent or more amount of iron.
Understanding the production of iron is important as we delve deeper into the history of steelmaking.
This transition helped shape the iron better and slowly this became a normal practice due to how convenient the production became.
Iron, until replaced by steel in the 1870s has formed the material basis of human civilization for over 3000 years in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Whereas, the history of Indian steelmaking starts in 400BC when metalworkers invented a smelting method that can bond the perfect amount of carbon into the iron. Metalworkers would use wrought and beaten-out of shape iron bars and metal pieces into the crucible and later put it into a furnace.
Raising the temperature of furnaces, they would melt the wrought iron and metal pieces.
With this process, the molten steel would lay in the crucible with pure steel inside.
Indian metal markers were shipping the higher carbon content steel throughout the world.
The steel coming from India to different parts of the world was being used in making sharp weaponries and swords. Indian steel had made its way everywhere including Spain and Toledo where the smiths would hammer the swords for Roman Army.
At this time the iron days were long gone and all the warriors would carry only steel for its multiple characteristics which would be Lighter than iron, stays intact for prolong periods of time, and has no side effects with long-term use in contrasting nature.
Roman empire officially fell in 476 and India even after still making the steel, couldn’t continue shipping the metal to Europe anymore.
Whereas in Catalonia, Spain metalworkers developed their own furnaces similar to those of India and started making their own steel.
On the other hand, the spectrum of Japan is critical for the swords they created.
Following a set of rituals for sword making, they would take unshaped and wasted pieces of iron and would heat it with a chunk of charcoal until it was soft enough to fold and shape into a sword.
Later, swordsmiths would use clay, charcoal, and iron powder to brush the material along the blade to give it the final design.
Iron and coal
Furnaces helped greatly in the formation of steel. Almost a 10 feet high contraption was developed by Germans that was able to engross a lot of carbon at once, the mixture later turned into cast iron and would get ready to be poured easily into a mold.
This ironmaking process was being practiced by the Chinese for seventeen hundred years but using a bigger pot instead of a furnace. Now, when it comes to the west, Iron innovation started at the time of world war and the invention of the cannon increased the demand for metals more than ever.
Simultaneously, Europe increased its metal creation substantially. The iron boom created a problem as Europe continued to stretch its power across the Globe. During the early 1700s England had slowly figured out the power of smelting iron with coal but they still didn’t end up making steel.
After having glanced at different histories connected with Steel-making industries across the world, we can say that it was a work in progress for the longest time.
Today India is the second largest producer of steel in the world, started the journey in 400 BC till now, and we have made significant changes and have grown massively when it comes to the innovations related to our industries.
Companies and industries have given their best for producing quality steel, not only as a metal piece but taking it as a piece of history. Kalika Steels today is one of the most evolved steel industries just like Indian history with steel making. Related to the values and origin’s Kalika steels is reliable for every bigger construction which contains the responsibility of our future.
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Kalika Steel is the most preferred TMT bar
manufacturer in Maharashtra.
Kalika Steel is the most preferred TMT bar manufacturer in Maharashtra.
