17 Henry Bessemer Facts: An English Value Inventor!

Sir Henry Bessemer was an English inventor who revolutionized the steel-making process in the 19th century.

The technique he devised was employed in the steel-making process for over 100 years, from 1856 to 1950. His contribution to the building of Sheffield as an industrial center is commendable.

In a journey to make the steelmaking process inexpensive, he developed a system to blow air through pig iron that has been molten to get rid of impurities. This invention worked like magic to produce steel in no time much more easily and more cheaply; it stirred up structural engineering.

An icon of the Second Industrial Revolution, Bessemer’s contribution is not limited to the steel-making process but in over 100 inventions involving iron, steel, and glass. Read along to track the inventions, legacy, and achievements of this prolific inventor!

Henry Bessemer's Pioneering Inventions

In the early phase of the industrial revolution, cast iron and wrought iron were the only construction materials used.

When cast iron proved great for the construction of bridges and columns, it couldn't help much with dynamic and compression works. Wrought iron opted for girders and engine parts. Though steel did exist in the form of iron with added carbon, its manufacturing method was complicated and could only be used for cutting tools and nothing beyond.

It was in the 1850s, during the Crimean War, Henry worked on an artillery shell that was driven by the powder gas to increase accuracy. Since cast iron cannons were said to be ill-suited for such shells, Bessemer set out to work on much stronger cast iron.

His experiments taught that excess oxygen in the furnace help purify iron and based on this, he introduced the technique that was acclaimed as ‘the Bessemer Process’.

Blowing air through the melted cast iron added to the purification and heating, making the material stronger. This was the technique in the Bessemer Process. This helped produce slag-free bars in bulk. The process was used enormously in the industrial centers; though now it has lost its relevance.

He came up with a SS Beamer to counter seasickness in 1868 and received a patent in 1857 for metal casting between contra-rotating rollers.

Additional Inventions Of Henry Bessemer

Henry Bessemer exhibited awe-inspiring mechanical and inventive skills in his early life. As he began making small steps towards a professional career life, the first thing he did was to help the British government deal with counterfeited stamps.

The problem was that all the official documents of the government were marked with stamps that could easily be copied by counterfeiters. To solve this, he worked on an embossing machine that helped stamps stick to the paper fibers; making it hard for the counterfeiters to copy. Even today, embossing machines are widely used on official documents.

That glints and glistens on gold paints were introduced by Henry! He produced a bronze powder for gold paints which could be used in adorning the buildings with the gold color that was symbolic of royalty. He visited a factory in Germany and analyzed the paint production technique.

Henry then experimented by replacing the metal with bronze, which helped the company reduce its expenses and he was appreciated with a patent for the paint. This helped him fund his own projects and inventions.

Bessemer's initial wealth came from a series of six steam-powered machines for manufacturing steel and bronze powder, which was used in the production of gold paint. Five ironmasters were granted the patent for Bessemer's technique, but the companies struggled to produce high-quality steel from the start.

Mr. Göran Fredrik Göransson, a Swedish ironmaster, was the first to create decent steel via the procedure, but only after several trials, using the purer charcoal pig iron of that country.

He invented machines, even for the railway structures. They made steel easier, faster, and less expensive as a result, revolutionizing structural engineering.

He even experimented with sugar cane, laying his hands on developing sugar-crushing machinery, but later flocked to metallurgy.

For his noteworthy contributions, Bessemer held about 129 patents spanning over 40 years from 1838 to 1883. This included an embossing stamp, military ordnance, sugar crushing machine, and many more.

Henry Bessemer's Death

Sir Henry Bessemer died at Denmark Hill in London at 85 years. He passed away in March 1898. After his death, his burial was conducted in London. He was buried at the West Norwood Cemetry, the same cemetery where some other prominent individuals had also been placed to rest.

Bessemer's Credits And Legacy

Henry Bessemer was one of the most significant inventors of the Second Industrial Revolution. He was a member of the French Academy of Science.

The gravestone of Sir Henry Bessemer can be seen in West Norwood Cemetery. Henry Bessemer was the son of Anthony Bessemer and was born January 19, 1813. While he was employed with the Paris Mint his finest invention was the medallion-making machine that had the ability to create movable dies of steel with help of a bigger model.

When he was 26, he was selected as a member of the French Academy of Science (FAS) in recognition of his contributions to the field of the optical microscope. He developed a successful procedure for producing gold chains, enabling him to purchase a modest estate in Charlton where Henry Bessemer was born.

Bessemer invented the best way to manufacture steel through wrought iron and molten iron. Bessemer even designed a solar furnace and a tool for polishing diamonds.

He made many other inventions too. He even worked at a stamp office.

Bessemer was honored for the role he played for the Royal Society and he was knighted by Queen Victoria on Jun 26, 1879. He was recognized for his numerous contributions to science and was conferred with the honorary membership of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in the year 1891.

After recognizing his fame in the field, he was selected as a Foreign Honorary Member of The American Academy of Arts and Science in 1895.

Henry Bessemer was and still is considered one of the top 10 technological pioneers in history. Henry Bessemer devised his technology for blowing air through pig iron ore, which has been molten, to eliminate impurities in order to minimize the cost of steel production for military weapons.

Henry Bessemer developed a method for making a continuous ribbon of plate glass in 1848, but it was never commercially viable. The Bessemer process consisted of blowing oxygen through melted iron to burn out impurities and generate molten steel through molten pig iron.

Earlier a school in Hitchin was named after him. With its demolition, a road was constructed in place which bore the name Bessemer Close in 1995. The Bessemer Way in the minister town of Rotherham was also in his honor. In 2009, the public house in Sheffield city was renamed ‘The Bessemer’ from the earlier name ‘The Fountain’.

Bessemer was President of the Iron and Steel Institute from 1871 to 1873. The institution had incepted Bessemer Gold Medal during his Presidential tenure.

After the institution was merged and became the Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining, Bessemer's legacy is paid homage to, by instituting an annual award for outstanding service in the steel industry. In the US, eight cities or towns bear his name, for his process was of immense use in many industries.