The Development Process Of Ironmaking

Ironmaking in China began in the Spring and Autumn period. At that time, the method of ironmaking was block ironmaking, which involved solid-state reduction of iron ore at lower smelting temperatures to obtain sponge iron, which was then forged into iron blocks. Smelting block ironmaking generally adopts three types: underground furnace, flat ground furnace, and vertical furnace. Not long after mastering the technology of block ironmaking, China has produced liquid pig iron containing more than 2% carbon and used it to cast tools. In the early Warring States period, China had already mastered decarburization and heat treatment technologies, and invented ductile cast iron. In the late Warring States period, reusable "iron molds" (hollow tubes made of iron for casting metal objects) were invented.
During the Western Han Dynasty, the crucible smelting method emerged. At the same time, the scale of ironmaking vertical furnaces has further expanded. In 1975, the Han Dynasty iron smelting site was discovered and excavated in Guxing Town near Zhengzhou, covering an area of 120000 square meters. Two parallel blast furnace foundations with a volume of about 50m3 were excavated. During the Western Han Dynasty, the "steel roasting method" was also invented, which is a new process of using pig iron to "roast" mature iron or steel, and the product is called roasted steel. At the same time, the "Hundred Steelmaking" technology has also emerged. In the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), during the reign of Emperor Guangwu, the hydraulic blast furnace, also known as "water drainage", was invented. The invention of water drainage in ancient China was about 1100 years earlier than in Europe.
After the Han Dynasty, the method of pouring steel was invented. The biography of Qi Mu Huai in the Book of Northern Qi is called "Su Gang", later known as Guan Gang or Tuan Gang. This is another major achievement in ancient Chinese steelmaking technology.
According to the "Essentials of the Chinese Encyclopedia", China was the earliest country to use coal for iron smelting, which had already been tested during the Han Dynasty and popularized during the Song and Yuan Dynasties. By the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), it was already possible to smelt pig iron from coke. During the 14th to 15th centuries AD, the production of iron exceeded 20 million kilograms, equivalent to approximately 12000 tons. Britain, which began the Industrial Revolution in the West, reached this level about two centuries later.
Overall, the characteristics of steel development in ancient China were different from those in other countries. Solid state reduction based block iron smelting and solid carburizing steel have long been used in the world, while cast iron and pig iron steelmaking have always been the main methods in China. Due to the invention and development of cast iron and pig iron steelmaking methods, China's metallurgical technology remained at the world's advanced level until the mid Ming Dynasty.
In the second half of the 19th century, the Qing government developed modern military industry, manufactured guns, warships, and imported a large amount of steel produced by Western countries. In 1867, the import of steel was about 8250 tons, in 1885 it was about 90000 tons, and in 1891 it increased to 1.7 million tons (about 130000 tons). Imported steel has gradually occupied the Chinese market, making it difficult for the traditional iron smelting industry to maintain production, while domestic steel consumption continues to increase. Therefore, the rise of the modern steel industry became a necessity of the times.
In 1871 (the 13th year of the Qing Dynasty's Tongzhi reign), the Governor General of Zhili, Li Hongzhang, and the Minister of Shipping, Shen Baozhen, requested the opening of coal and iron to meet military needs. They were granted permission and ordered to conduct trials in Cizhou, Fujian, and Taiwan in Zhili. In 1875, the Cizhou Coal and Iron Mine in Zhili ordered melting iron machines from Britain, but was unable to close the deal due to difficult transportation. This incident indicates that at that time, there was already a focus on developing a new type of steel industry. In 1886, Guizhou Governor Pan Wei founded Qingchang, which first used earthen furnaces and later ordered ironmaking and steelmaking equipment from Britain. The installation was completed in 1888. Due to corruption in the Qing court, a lack of funds, coal, and iron ore, as well as poor management and no one proficient in technology, the operation was suspended in 1893. This is an attempt to establish a modern steel plant.