Question

Why was the bessemer project important in Great Britains industrial revolution?

Answer 1

The Bessemer process was used in order to produce steel from wrought iron. The process involved numerous patents issued from 1855 to 1857 by an English inventor named Sir Henry Bessemer. It changed the steel industry and inspired further developments in steel making. Its impact reached beyond imagination. It led to greater industrialization, changed the landscape of cities, and forged the modern era. Before the Bessemer process, steel had been known as a luxury metal. Many saw it as a high valued steel because production of it cost huge amount of time and labor. Back then, steel could only be made in small quantities. Wrought iron had to be infused with carbon in order to produce blister steel. Then, the blister steel had to be melted in small clay crucibles before being heated to extreme temperatures. During the process, carbon spread throughout the blister steel and creating a steel. However, the process could only produce small amounts of steel. In addition, it required numerous crucibles and artisans in order to manufacture substantial amounts. Hence, steel in large quantities using the old method resulted to expensive prices.

Answer 2

The primary reason it was so important was it was the first time someone had come up with an inexpensive way to manufacture mass quantities of steel.