History of Steel

Metals have been one of the core drivers of industrialisation. Among metals, steel has
historically held a dominant position. As a raw material and intermediate product, production
and consumption of steel are widely regarded as indicators of economic progress. Thus, it
would not be an overstatement to say that the steel industry has always been at the forefront
of industrial development and forms the backbone of any economy.
Steel has a long history. People in India and Sri Lanka were making small amounts of steel
more than 2,500 years ago. It was very expensive and was often used to
make swords and knives. In the middle Ages, steel could be made only in small amounts
since the processes took a long time.
In the time since, there have been many changes to the way steel is made. In about the year
1610 steel started to be made in England, and the way it was made got better and cheaper
over the next 100 years. Cheap steel helped start the Industrial Revolution in England and
in Europe. The first industrial Converter (metallurgy) for making cheap steel was
the Bessemer converter, followed by Siemens-Martin open-hearth process.