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Anironworks oriron works is anindustrial plant whereiron issmelted and where heavy iron andsteel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e. the singular ofironworks isironworks.
Ironworks succeededbloomeries whenblast furnaces replaced former methods. An integrated ironworks in the 19th century usually included one or more blast furnaces and a number ofpuddling furnaces or afoundry with or without other kinds of ironworks. After the invention of theBessemer process,converters became widespread, and the appellationsteelworks replaced ironworks.
The processes carried at ironworks are usually described as ferrous metallurgy, but the termsiderurgy is also occasionally used. This is derived from theGreek wordssideros - iron andergon orergos - work. This is an unusual term in English, and it is best regarded as ananglicisation of a term used inFrench,Spanish, and otherRomance languages.
Historically, it is common that a community was built around the ironworks where the people living there were dependent on the ironworks to provide jobs and housing.[1] As the ironworks closed down (or was industrialised) these villages quite often went into decline and experienced negative economic growth.[2]
Ironworks is used as an omnibus term covering works undertaking one or more iron-producing processes.[3] Such processes or species of ironworks where they were undertaken include the following:
From the 1850s, pig iron might be partly decarburised to producemild steel using one of the following:[5]
The mills operating converters of any type are better called steelworks, ironworks referring to former processes, likepuddling.
After bar iron had been produced in a finery forge or in the forge train of a rolling mill, it might undergo further processes in one of the following:
Most of these processes did not produce finished goods. Further processes were often manual, including
In the context of the iron industry, the termmanufacture is best reserved for this final stage.
The notable ironworks of the world are described here by country. See above for the largest producers and the notable ironworks in the alphabetical order.
The largest Japanese steel companies' main works are as follows:
| Iron production (Ironworks) |
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| Steelmaking (Steel mill) |
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| Heat treatment methods |
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| Production by country | |||||||||
