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Britain’s Iron and Coal Industries. How might the people be feeling?. What might be the dangers of this work?. What might be the uses for steel ingots (bars)?. What might the building and the machines be made of?. What might the people be doing?. What do you see here?.
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How might the people be feeling? What might be the dangers of this work? What might be the uses for steel ingots (bars)? What might the building and the machines be made of? What might the people be doing? What do you see here?
In this painting, by P.S. Kroyer, men are pouring steel ingots at the Burmeister and Wain Works, at Copenhagen, Denmark.
Iron has traditionally been used to make tools and weapons. This is an iron smelting and blacksmith shop depicted in a wood cut from the middle ages.
These are pictures from 1840, showing a small blast furnace to melt iron ore.
The demand for iron was high during times of war on the Continent (the Napoleonic wars) and remained high due revolutionary changes in Britain. When was Napoleon defeated at Waterloo? The Agricultural Revolution increased the demand for iron to make farming tools. What farming tools would be made out of iron?
The Industrial Revolution increased the demand for more iron for machinery, which previously had been made largely of wood. In addition, Watt’s invention of the modern steam engine increased the need for iron. This increase in demand required more efficient ways of smelting. Which machine was made mostly out of wood? (Use your notes!) Name another machine that was made out of iron (Use your notes!).
Smelting is used to remove the impurities in the iron. During the smelting process, injections of carbon and heat into the iron ore change the iron into steel – which is more flexible and durable. So, how to make iron smelting more efficient?
During the Industrial Revolution, a new method of mass producing steel was refined. This method was called the Bessemer process, named after Henry Bessemer (1855). The key principle is the removal of impurities from the iron by oxidation with air being blown through the molten iron. The oxidation also raises the temperature of the iron mass and keeps it molten.
Notes: The Need for Iron: • Farming tools required iron • New factory machinery required iron. • Railways required iron. • Smelting purifies the iron, and creates steel, but it requires carbon.
Before 1720, Britain’s use of coal had been declining. The supply of charcoal and timber, used to provide the carbon and heat needed during iron smelting, was decreasing. However, coal supplies were abundant, and innovations led to the discovery that wood could be replaced by coal in the smelting process. It was also discovered that steam engines could be powered by coal.
Effect of Iron and Coal: Steam engines needed coal to operate. Steam engines were also made of iron, which needed coal to smelt the iron ore. So the need for coal was great.
By the 18th century, coal was Britain’s largest product. Mining output increased from 2.5 million tons in 1700 to 16 million tons in 1829. 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900
The iron industry also flourished. In 1814, Britain exported 572,000 tons of iron; in 1852, iron exports had risen to 1,036,000 tons. As the world total of iron production was just under 2,000,000 tons, Britain was producing more iron than all the other countries of the world added together.
Both coal and iron supported the English navy and shipbuilding industry. The Great Eastern steam ship, 1858
Notes: The Need for Coal: • Coal produces the carbon necessary for smelting iron • Steam engines could be powered by coal. The Effect of Iron and Coal: • Britain produced more iron than all of the other countries of the world combined. • Coal powered Britain’s enormous navy.
Questions: • Do you think pollution (air, land, water) is worse now, in 2014, than it was in 1854? Why or why not? • Read the primary source document and the 2 secondary source documents. Do these documents support your opinion, or change it? Give specific examples from the text to support your answer. This response MUST be in a paragraph format. I am looking for 4 pieces of evidence! • Were you surprised by your findings? What can we learn about the modern world and pollution from these documents?
