Puddling (metallurgy)

<p>Puddling is the process of converting <a href="/facts/Pig_iron/bxLL2NaR">pig iron</a> to  bar (wrought) iron in a coal fired <a href="/facts/Reverberatory_furnace/fuILeeWX">reverberatory furnace</a>. It was developed in England during the  1780s. The molten pig iron was stirred in a reverberatory furnace, in an <a href="/facts/Redox/Pyd5RVcj">oxidizing</a> environment to burn the carbon, resulting in <a href="/facts/Wrought_iron/zynpjrIv">wrought iron</a>. It was one of the most important processes for making the first appreciable volumes of valuable and useful <a href="/facts/Wrought_iron/zynpjrIv">bar iron</a> (malleable wrought iron) without the use of <a href="/facts/Charcoal/tpYGBHTn">charcoal</a>. Eventually, the furnace would be used to make small quantities of specialty <a href="/facts/Steel/aN6qWo4H">steels</a>.
</p><p>Though it was not the first process to produce bar iron without charcoal, puddling was by far the most successful, and replaced the earlier <a href="/facts/Potting_and_stamping/cPChX4VN">potting and stamping</a> processes, as well as the much older charcoal <a href="/facts/Finery_forge/rL149zMT">finery</a> and <a href="/facts/Bloomery/E2NDd6EF">bloomery</a> processes. This enabled a great expansion of iron production to take place in Great Britain, and shortly afterwards, in North America. That expansion constitutes the beginnings of the <a href="/facts/Industrial_Revolution/B6E3Fasm">Industrial Revolution</a> so far as the iron industry is concerned. Most 19th century applications of <a href="/facts/Wrought_iron/zynpjrIv">wrought iron</a>, including the <a href="/facts/Eiffel_Tower/IptQeofK">Eiffel Tower</a>, bridges, and the original framework of the <a href="/facts/Statue_of_Liberty/TlymQ7JI">Statue of Liberty</a>, used puddled iron.
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Puddling (metallurgy) open-in-new

Puddling (metallurgy)