How did ancient ironware extract raw iron?

Raw iron is extracted by "frying steel".

Generally speaking, there are three kinds of smelting blocks for ironmaking: ground furnace, flat furnace and shaft furnace. Soon after China mastered the massive ironmaking technology, liquid pig iron containing more than 2% carbon was smelted for casting tools. As early as the Warring States Period, China had mastered the technical methods of decarbonization and heat treatment, and invented ductile iron. In the late Warring States period, a reusable "iron model" (an empty stomach made of iron for casting metal objects) was invented.

During the Western Han Dynasty, the crucible ironmaking method appeared. At the same time, the scale of ironmaking shaft furnace has been further expanded. In the Western Han Dynasty, the "steel explosion method" was also invented, that is, a new process of "frying" wrought iron or steel with pig iron, and the product was called steel explosion. At the same time, the technology of "hundred steelmaking" came into being. In the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220), when Emperor Guangwu was in power, he invented the hydraulic blast furnace, namely "drainage". The invention of ancient water rafts in China was about 1 100 years earlier than that in Europe.

Extended data:

The characteristics of China's ancient steel development are different from those of other countries. Bulk ironmaking and solid carburized steel by solid reduction method have been used for a long time in the world, and China cast iron and pig iron have always been the main methods of steelmaking. Due to the invention and development of cast iron and pig iron steelmaking, China's metallurgical technology was at the advanced level in the world before the middle of Ming Dynasty.

/kloc-In the second half of the 9th century, the Qing Ye government developed modern military industry, manufactured guns and warships, and imported a large number of steel produced in western countries. 1867 imported about 8250t tons of steel, 1885 about 90,000 tons, 189 1 year increased to 1.7 million tons (about 1.3 million tons). Imported steel has gradually occupied the domestic market, and it is difficult for the traditional iron smelting industry to maintain production, while the domestic steel consumption is increasing. Therefore, the rise of modern iron and steel industry has become the need of the times.

187 1 year (13th year of Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty), Li Hongzhang, governor of Zhili, and Shen Baozhen, minister of ship administration, invited them to open coal and iron to save munitions, so they granted their request and ordered them to try it out in Cizhou, Fujian and Taiwan Province provinces of Zhili. 1875, Zhili Cizhou Coal and Iron Mine ordered an iron melting machine from Britain, but it was far from successful due to transportation difficulties. This shows that attention has been paid to the establishment of a new type of iron and steel industry.

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