Bessemer process

noun Metallurgy.

a process of producing steel, in which impurities are removed by forcing a blast of air through molten iron.

Origin of Bessemer process

First recorded in 1855–60; after H. Bessemer

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British Dictionary definitions for bessemer process

Bessemer process

noun

(formerly) a process for producing steel by blowing air through molten pig iron at about 1250°C in a Bessemer converter: silicon, manganese, and phosphorus impurities are removed and the carbon content is controlled

a similar process for removing sulphur and iron from copper matte

Word Origin for Bessemer process

C19: named after Sir Henry Bessemer (1813–98), English engineer

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for bessemer process

Bessemer process

[ bĕs′ə-mər ]

A method for making steel by forcing compressed air through molten iron to burn out carbon and other impurities.