Why did you have to keep beating iron in ancient times?

1, the iron is soft when fired, and it is shaped by forging the iron pieces to produce iron that meets the production requirements.

2, the process of forging in ancient hand forging is a processing method of applying pressure to metal billets through repeated even hammering by hand to produce plastic deformation in order to obtain forgings with certain shapes, sizes and mechanical strength. It can be said that in the hands of the old blacksmith, hard iron into square, round, long, flat, pointed can be.

3, iron finished products have with the traditional production methods have agricultural tools, such as plows, rakes, hoes, pickaxes, sickles and so on. There are also some household items, such as kitchen knives, spatulas, planing knives, scissors, etc., in addition to such as door rings, bubble nails, door plugs, etc..

Extended information:

The development of iron smelting:

1, Spring and Autumn period

Spring and Autumn period of iron is still extremely valuable, archaeological discovery of iron is often inlaid in other materials in the aristocratic tombs, such as the aforementioned State of Guo cemetery was found to be a copper-handled iron sword, the Henan Xichuan under the Temple of Chu tomb was found jade handle. Chu tomb was found in the jade handle iron dagger, can be seen at the time of the iron luxury and expensive.

2. During the Warring States period, the use of iron tools changed dramatically.

To the Warring States period, the use of iron has undergone radical changes, according to the "Guanzi" records, only one place in Qi "out of the iron of the mountain three thousand six hundred and ninety-nine", the exploration of the old city of Qi found iron smelting sites six, proving that the Warring States has been large-scale iron smelting production.

This period, a variety of production and processing of iron technology developed rapidly, the most influential and far-reaching casting technology and frying steel method, the invention of malleable cast iron. These achievements of China has been ahead of the world's technology, is the most iron and steel power of China's foundation.

3, smooth

The end of the Han Dynasty, the invention of "steel filling method" to save manpower and material resources

The end of the Han Dynasty, the chaos, iron production has been greatly damaged, the next period of the North and South Dynasties, iron smelting production mainly in the recovery of pre-war level, naturally difficult to happen like a block of ironmaking to the iron casting such a revolutionary change, but the development of technology still did not stop. The development of technology still did not stop.

One of them, Qimu Huaiwen, who used the "steel pouring method" to smelt steel knives, was the earliest known practitioner and innovator of the steel pouring method, and made an unparalleled contribution to the development of this technology.

4, the North and South Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty

Iron and steel smelting and casting industry is only the earliest in the Central Plains is more developed, the North and South Dynasties period of the Yangtze River Basin iron manufacturing gradually developed.

The Tang Dynasty, located in the northeast of the Bohai region also has the production of iron, "New Book of the Tang Dynasty - Bohai Biography" recorded the name "Iron State", must be because of the local production of iron is known and named. Liao early Yelu A Baoji conquered the Bohai, in the Iron State, "set up the mining and refining of 300 households," which is also a major source of iron smelting technology in the Liao Dynasty, right.

5, accelerate

Song dynasty biggest technological breakthrough is fuel improvement

This period is another important period of development of iron and steel metallurgy technology, the Northern Song dynasty iron production surged, agricultural tools, weapons and even coins are iron casting, the Wei and Jin dynasties, the method of steel, steel, steel and other technologies in the Song dynasty, these in Shen Kuo's "Dreams and Strokes" have detailed records.

The biggest technological breakthrough in the Song Dynasty was the beginning of large-scale use of coal in iron smelting, which alleviated the problem of the shortage of traditional charcoal fuel and enabled higher furnace temperatures to be obtained, improving smelting efficiency. But there was a downside to using coal as a fuel, and that was that the sulfur released during the burning process of coal would affect the quality of pig iron.

5, decline

Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties and no substantial leap

Solve the fuel problem, China's iron smelting industry all the way up, the Yuan Dynasty only in the hinterland, that is, today's Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei, Henan on the front and back to set up iron smelting 26, each smelting households as many as 760 to 6000 households, which can be seen at the time of the scale of the huge. In addition, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei and Hunan also have iron production, in addition to the belly, the Yuan Dynasty steel tax "only Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei and Hunan class for the most.

Ming Hongwu six years, in the country to set iron metallurgy 13, in order to make the balance between the north and south, the south set up 6, the north set up 7, but the south of the amount of iron production has far exceeded the north, but in order to balance the production of iron and steel, the Ming dynasty in the middle and late in the Zunhua, Hebei Province, opened the famous "Zunhua Iron Metallurgy", was the largest iron and steel production base! In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the famous "Zunhua Iron Metallurgy" was opened in Zunhua, Hebei Province, which was the largest iron and steel production base at that time.

Reference:Baidu Encyclopedia - Iron

People's Daily Online - Uncovering Ancient Chinese Iron Smelting