The History of Mild Steel

I am a student at Colchester Royal Grammar School. I am doing a design technology project on Mild steel but I can't find any information on it's history, how it came about and such. Please could someone let me know.

Many Thanks,

"Mild" steel is basically just "common" steel or "ordinary" steel or "soft" steel. It is steel that is low in carbon and not heat treated for hardness. Your school library or town library will have books about steel.

Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

Hi there, don't know if you found any more infomation on mild steel, I have just started a project and have done a liitle research into the subject. Though my info. is a little sketchy I can say that 'Mild Steel' was found accidently through trying to mass produce Wrought Iron, and so has many similar material properities. I'd say wrought iron was a good starting point. Hope that's some help.

First of two simultaneous responses -- ++++

Tom, What Ted says is correct ... go thou and looketh it up, OK !

When you think of it, there is pitifully little difference between iron and steel.

Remove some of the impurities in iron, lo and behold, you have steel.

Impurities such as carbon, sulphur and phosphorus .... which exist even in the very high class Swedish iron ores, albeit in very minor amounts.

Freeman Newton - White Rock, British Columbia, Canada

Ed. note: Please keep Freeman in your thoughts & prayers. Message from Freeman, Dec. 2010

Second of two simultaneous responses -- ++++

Do an Internet search on the history of steel. Also try Ironbridge, "bessemer converter" and "open hearth process"

Trevor Crichton R&D practical scientist The Pheasantries - Chesham, U.K.