Bessemer & Co.
"Make iron for less, with the Bessemer Process!"
Who am I?
I am Henry Bessemer, I was born on January 19,1813 in Charlton, Hertfordshire, England. I am skilled in engineering and have been an inventor all my life. I have invented things such as movable stamps, sugar-cane crushing machinery, and an artillery shell. I also made improvements on the typesetting machines. I realized after these inventions I was now devoted to metallurgy, and this is when I invented the Bessemer Process.
How did I come upon this invention?
During the Crimean War, I invented an artillery shell that was rotated by the powder gases, but the French authorities with who I was negotiating with said that their cast iron cannon would not be strong enough for this kind of shell so I then attempted to produce a stronger cast iron. In my experiments trying to make a better iron, I discovered that blowing air through melted cast iron purified the iron and also heats further, making the iron easily poured. This effect was caused by the reaction of oxygen, carbon, and silicon in the iron.
How does it work?
The process is made possible with something I invented soon after the process. I invented the tilting converter which molten pig iron could be poured from before air was blown in from below. Steps using this converter are shown below.
Step 1
Heat up the pig iron in the Bessemer converter.
Step 2
Blow air through the iron to purify it and make it easier to pour.
Step 3
Pour, let cool, and now you have strong, large, slag-free ingots!
How can I use this process?
If you are an ironmaster looking to use this less expensive way to produce iron, then you can go come right into my factory and purchase a license yourself. They are selling for £300.
If you are a builder and would like to purchase this new, stronger iron then I am selling it for only £40 a ton!
Location: Charlton, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom