The Development of the Bessemer Process in Continental Europe

Type:

Book Chapter

Author:

F. Toussaint

Published:

2024

Publisher:

CRC Press

After the invention of the pneumatic process by Henry Bessemer between 1855 and 1860, the first to apply the process in Germany was Krupp in Essen in 1862, (first melt blown on 16 May 1862). Krupp was informed about the development by Bessemer in England, because his representative agent in Britain, Richard Longsdon, was a brother of Bessemer's friend and collaborator Frederick Longsdon. So he applied for a patent according to Bessemer's indications, but this was rejected by the German Imperial Patent Office, which generally at that time was not very much in favour of inventors. Since Bessemer had no patent in Prussia, Bessemer and Krupp were interested in keeping the fact of the existence of tiltable converters in Essen a secret. The name of the steel plant in Essen was disguised and called ‘Räderwerk C’ (wheelshop C). 1 By 1867 Krupp was operating 18 converters, thus being the most important Bessemer steelworks on the continent. The second Bessemer plant in Prussia was erected at Hörde in 1864 (where later the first Thomas heat was blown). It seems that Krupp was the first to arrange three vessels in a row, instead of two in a circular arrangement (Fig. 1).

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