Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Steel builds a Nation

Barbed wire (rusting after years of hard work)...
Barbed wire (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Even before the start of the industrial revolution, steel has played a major role in our country. It has been used countless times in warfare in the form of equipment and weapons, and was used to build structures and equipment that could not be supported by other materials such as brick or wood. Great examples include our modern railway systems and the transformation of wooden vessels into iron clad giants.

During the industrial revolution, the world experimented with different means and methods of creating steel. Many traditional methods included making cold drawn steel, which was high in strength but low in flexibility. With the technology and ability to heat substances to higher temperatures, manufacturers were able to make more flexibilte but high durability products that could be used to make barbed wire and other meaniful products through wire rod.

As technologies continue to develop, we continue to find new uses for a timeless material. The materials used in our cell phones and electronic devices often include small parts of steel that are crucial for the devices functionality.