Pro tip: You can check if the rock you have chosen is right by attracting it to a magnet, the magnetite present in the rocks attract magnets.
Imagine a world that is millions of years old. What do we see? Just ancient humans and animals, right? These ancient humans, also our ancestors, have been known to carry various tools. Tools that could slice, slab, and scrape. Tools for hunting and gathering activities, for fending themselves against unknown threats. Initially, these tools were just carved stones.
Now lets visualize the present day tools being used for similar activities. What are they made of? As we can easily make out that they are mostly made of metals or their alloys, with some use of wood for handles etc.
As humans lived through the years, they faced bigger threats. They encountered many scary and powerful animals and beasts. Nothing striked more fear into the hearts and minds of the people than a single sighting of these beasts. Animals like bears, lions and tigers that could strike and kill at will in a matter of a few seconds. It was as scary then as it sounds today.
The tools of those times provided very minimal protection in such situations. But nature had other plans for mankind. Nature had protected humans with a unique gift, a gift more powerful than anything else. Humans had Cognitive Abilities - faculties that make it possible for us to think, explore, discover and to invent. (Cognition- Generic term embracing the mental activities associated with thinking, learning, and memory. Any process whereby one acquires knowledge)
So gradually, and over long periods of time, using this gift humans have managed to discover, invent and manufacture, more and more powerful materials and thus tools to defend, hunt and fend for themselves. He has created arrows and spearheads by grinding grain and slowly and steadily have advanced to making tools that are more durable and malleable using the elements.
The discovery, development and application of metals has influenced our way of life and helped shape societies. Historians even started describing periods of significant social and technological advancements based on the metals used at that time. For example, the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age.
Scientific evidence shows that man first discovered copper, a naturally occurring pure metal. Fuelled by very basic curiosity as to how this new material could be used, led to formalization of metallurgy as a science. Since then the study of metallurgy has been fundamental to the way humans have lived.
Humans fascination with metals began with the ancient man and since then humans have been using a range of metals. These were - Gold; Silver; Copper; Tin; Lead; Iron. Gradually he learnt that each of these had distinct properties. Some metals were more suited for certain tasks than others and he began specifying metals based on their applications. For example; since Gold and silver are very soft, he started using these mainly for decoration and bullion for trade. Since Copper could be hardened by hammering or forging, it found use in making tools- though very basic ones. Then came the discovery of Bronze -an alloy of copper and tin. It changed the way that Man had lived, hunted, fought and prospered. Bronze was much stronger than copper and could be cast to a specific shape.Lead found its use in making into vessels to transport liquids. Later on, Lead would be a principal material in the manufacture of pipes such as those used to transport water.
Then came Iron. It was a game changer. It found use in the most widest range of applications. It was such a phenomenon in itself that its discovery led to the 'Iron Age'- a transition from the less developed Bronze Age.
The wagons, bicycles, bikes, cars, trucks, boats, planes -we ride, drive or fly in; the chairs, tables, desks, cupboards, ladders -the furniture we use to make life comfortable; mugs, cups, plates, spoons, forks, cutters, crockery and cutlery, cooking ware-we use for storing, cooking and consuming food; the houses we live in; offices we work in; in a way most of the things that we use for our day to day activities survival are all made of metals and majorly using Iron and its alloys.
A refined version of this Iron widely used today is Steel - it's basically carbon-rich Iron. While Iron is a metal element that is extensively found on the Earth, Steel is an alloy that is made by carefully mixing Iron and Carbon. So, now since we know that Iron can be easily extracted from the Earth and Steel needs to be humanly made, without waiting let's take you folks through the entire process of Steelmaking? Only a few fireworks are worth the drama and are spectacular to the eye–one of these is the process of Steelmaking.
The story of hot metal and cold Steel is fascinating from start to finish, especially when viewed with childlike innocence and intrigue. Most of the time, the story of Steelmaking begins with a BLAST! As the rock explodes and the raw materials are tossed from the Earth, we can see the onset of Steel in making, in the form of crude Iron ore.
The next step in making Steel involves grinding the rock and separating the ore with powerful magnets. The ore then obtained is converted into small-sized pellets and mixed with coke and limestone. The mixture is then sealed in airtight vessels and pushed into a big oven called the Blast Furnace for 12 to 16 hours. There a continuous blast of heated air is combusted to change the raw materials into molten Iron.
It's astonishing to share that a blast furnace functions at a temperature of nearly 2700 degree Fahrenheit? That further implies that anything living can be burnt to ashes in a blast furnace in less than a few milliseconds! Awestruck !
Next, the molten Iron is then transferred to workshops where oxygen is sprayed on it at supersonic speed. So what does it result in? Molten Steel and fascinating SPARKS ! BLISS ! :)
This molten Steel is then ready to be made into custom blends, such as the various types and qualities of Steel.
It's interesting to note further that while Steel is made in factories for large scale productions, Steel can also be made at home on a very small scale. Just for a science experiment, read along to know how you can make Steel using ingredients from your backyard.
Let us rewind the Steel-making process on a large scale. It all begins with a BLAST, but you could do with the already existing broken Iron ore-rich rocks which are maybe just available near to your house, or your next hiking spot. The rich Iron ore rock that you find could be shiny white or red.
Let us rewind the Steel-making process on a large scale. It all begins with a BLAST, but you could do with the already existing broken Iron ore-rich rocks which are maybe just available near to your house, or your next hiking spot. The rich Iron ore rock that you find could be shiny white or red.
Collect some amount of Iron-rich rock and separate the rock from the dust. Wet the dust with water and separate the dust from the chunks of Iron-rich rocks at the bottom of the vessel.Next, we will need some Carbon so that the Iron oxide can easily give away the oxygen. We can use Coal for Carbon. Coal is very easily available. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements; chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Now, with bare hands,we create a mixture of powdered Coal, powdered Limestone, and a little soda ash. You are just one step away from producing Steel at a smaller scale, all we need is an electric furnace. Mix and set the furnace with the Iron ore you collected from the rocks and the mixture of Coal and limestone.
As the fire burns and sparks around, you can feel the shiny metal Steel in your backyard. Thrilled !
Here’s a list of countries that have a rich Iron ore reserve, and if you are a resident of one of these countries, chances are that you might find Iron ore somewhere soon! :)
The molten Steel is custom blended into 1500 chemistries or more to create cutting-edge and value-added Steel as per customers’ demands. The molten Steel is then moved through various stages to make it more formable. In a caster, at 3000 degrees Fahrenheit, molten Steel is given a shape that represents a huge slab. Once the molten Steel is cooled, it is stacked for further processing.
The stacked Steel slabs are then moved to the hot strip mill where they are given their shape and size. The Steel slabs are reheated to 2400 degree Fahrenheit and deskinned before they are given their shape. The sophisticated metal that comes out through the process is shinier, stronger, and thinner without the intervention of a single human hand.
The Steel is moulded into sheets, rods, bars, and whatnot. Most of the Steel that leaves the finishing facilities are the industry’s newest superstars. They are lighter, stronger, highly engineered, and formable that were unheard of a few years ago. And here comes the birth of Steel bars!
Look around you and imagine, how would the world be without these high rises, monuments, fancy buildings, and structures? You might not even have a stable and non-destroyable roof above your head without these Steel bars! And these Steel bars are known as TMT bars in the industry.
TMT Bars are harder on the outside and softer on the inside. This mechanism produces TMT bars that are flexible and ductile. Similar to the process above of producing Steel in general, the Steel is exposed to a whopping temperature of 1100 degree Celsius and passed through rolling mills to give them their shape. Next, these rolled Steel billets are cooled using a process called quenching where a high-pressure water supply cools the exterior of the bars and slowly cools the inside of the bars. This two-layered cooling process is the technique that gives birth to one of the strongest metals on the planet, TMT bars.
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TMT bars are compulsory material in every construction project all over the world. There is not a single high rise that gets constructed without the utilization of TMT bars. One of the tallest buildings in the world, the Burj Khalifa, is made using 39,000 tonnes of Steel bars. TMT bars are used in- Residential projects; High-rise structures; Industrial or office spaces; Dams; Bridges and flyovers; Malls, schools, airports, hospitals; Underground structures; Underwater structures etc.
TMT bars are highly advantageous compared to any other form of metal that can be widely used in construction. To list down a few,
Corrosion-resistant: Coarse carbides are responsible for corroding Steel. During the water cooling phase, the Steel is protected from coarse carbides, thus making TMT bars more durable and corrosion-resistant.
Strength: The strength of the bars makes it an easy substance to form a stronger surface with cement. The ribbed structure of the TMT bars allows the cement to gel perfectly during construction.
Fire-resistant: TMT bars can withstand temperatures ranging from 400 to 600 degree Celsius because of their high thermal stability. This makes a building safer from downfall during a fire outbreak.
Earthquake proof: As explained earlier, the softer inside of the TMT bars makes it more flexible, thus providing a high rise with better support during earthquakes.
Cost-effective: With a higher tensile strength, TMT bars prove to be one of the easiest metals that can be elongated during construction, thus reducing the raw material cost. Since the bars are easy to store, it saves on the storage and transportation cost, too.
Environment-friendly: One-third of Earth’s mass comprises Iron, and TMT bars are a high-temperature result from Iron ore. While our planet is rich in Iron, the making of Steel or TMT bars causes less pollution compared to any other metal products.
Also, Steel is highly recyclable and can be used over again, and segregable from the rest of the dumps because it can be easily attracted to magnets.
The potential uses of Steel are ever-increasing as the world develops to uplift billions of people to modern living. Steel has played a significant part in history, continues to play a vital role today in overall development and is destined to play a critical role in the future of mankind as well.
We at MPower Steel with a clear mission and vision are all excited and geared up to rise to the hour and play an ever growing role in national building, enhancement of society and overall evolution of humanity of the future.
We at MPower Steel are your partners and we together will be, Adding Steel to the Future !!