Bessemer, Sir Henry

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Bessemer, Sir Henry (1813–98). Bessemer distinguished himself as a professional inventor responsible for many ingenious ideas. By far his most successful invention was the process which bears his name for making steel—previously an expensive material in short supply—available in bulk. Invented in 1856, the process involved blowing air through molten cast iron so that it combined with excess carbon in the melt to produce mild steel in substantial quantities. This caused a brief but spectacular display while the reaction took place. Steel from ‘Bessemer converters’ came to be used extensively in railway lines, ship plate, and forgings for large guns. Despite the occurrence of technical problems in its early development, the process was widely adopted in iron- and steelworks in Britain and elsewhere during the following decades. The invention secured public recognition and many honours for Bessemer, including a knighthood in 1879.

R. Angus Buchanan

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