The Bessemer process is a method of steelmaking that was invented by Henry Bessemer in 1856. It is an industrial process for the production of steel from molten pig iron.
Key innovations of the Bessemer process involve the use of a Bessemer converter, a large vessel lined with refractory material, into which molten pig iron is poured. Compressed air is then blown through the molten iron, causing the impurities in the iron to react with the oxygen in the air and form a slag that can be easily removed. The process produces steel that is stronger, cheaper and more versatile than the wrought iron previously used, revolutionising industries such as shipbuilding, railways and construction.