Steel Manufacturing Technology

STEEL-DEFINITION

Steel is an alloy metal. It is also called steel. The hard material obtained by mixing carbon with iron and melting it in a furnace is called steel. Along with this, ores such as manganese, nickel, vanadium are also added to increase the strength of steel. From the following proof, it is understood that steel was used during the Sangam period.

Proofs i) Kurunthogai 198 ii) Pathirtuppathu 62:3

1. Fabrication of Cast Steel by Carbon Sintering

Carbon Sintering is a technology in which ferrous alloys are heated above their melting point and combined with organic matter (carbon).

Wood Steel

Wood steel is cast steel made by mixing iron with organic materials (iron + charcoal + glass) and heating it for several hours at temperature not less than 1400 degrees. This process is called Carbonisation.

Widely known worldwide, this superior organic wood steel is developed in South India. It is also said that this word 'Utsu' was derived from the word 'Uruku' and was changed to 'Uku" and became 'Utsu'.

Evidences

1. The nature of this alloy known as 'Utsu' steel has greatly intrigued metallurgists around the world, including Michael Faraday.

2. Examination of the castings found at Melsiruvalur indicates that this is a very high organic steel with 1.5% - 2% organic addition rather than the usual 0.4% organic addition. This study suggests that such steel may have previously been produced in carbon black smelting processes.

Damascus Sword

'Damascus Sword' famous all over the world, stands for the excellence of high organic steel made in South India. Special references to such iron objects are found in Greek, Persian and Roman Chronicles. These references date back to the first Century BC.

Through such studies and Sangam evidences, the ancient metallurgical technology of South India and the personality of Tamilians in metallurgy are revealed.

2. Kanakathikaram

In the Sangam period, a new alloy was prepared by mixing one metal with another metal and its alloying ratios are mentioned in the Kanakathikaram written by Karinayanar.

Proof: [Karinayanar Kanakathikaram verse11]

Bronze is obtained by mixing eight palams copper with two palams lead.

Brass is obtained by mixing 7 1⁄2 palam copper with three palam zinc.