History

• Improved smelting techniques contributed to increased iron production.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Iron production and smelting processes changed during the 18th century. Smelting is the process of using heat to extract iron from the iron ore by reducing the amount of carbon in the ore. Prior to the steam engine, blacksmiths used water wheels and human labor to pump the bellows that fanned the fires during the smelting process. The steam engine enhanced smelting by increasing bellow power to create higher fire temperatures. Extreme heat removes more carbon and excess impurities, making the metal stronger and more malleable. Pure liquid iron is essential for implementing mass production techniques such as molds and rollers to create uniform objects rapidly.
  
  

Steel

• Steel was and still is essential in building suspension bridges.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Wrought iron contains .02 to .08 percent carbon, which makes wrought iron hard yet flexible. Cast iron contains 3 to 4.5 percent carbon and is hard and brittle. At .2 to 1.5 percent carbon, steel is harder than wrought iron, yet flexible, unlike cast iron. Prior to 1856, the technology didn't exist to control the carbon levels to make steel consistently. The Bessemer converter, invented in 1856, changed steel production. The Bessemer converter injected compressed hot air into the iron and reduced the time needed to convert iron ore into usable iron. Introducing an iron, carbon and manganese alloy into the smelting process regulated the amount of carbon removed from the ore, thus enabling steel production to become standardized and affordable. Steel is the preferred material for machine parts and rails that wear down quickly due to constant use.
  
  

Architecture

• Iron provides the strength necesssary to build tall structures.Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
  
  Iron changed structural development. Iron is necessary in producing nails, clamps, beams, girders and rivets; items essential in building strong, large structures. Iron and glass buildings became popular during the Industrial Age, most notably train stations and greenhouses. Bridges made of iron are stronger than traditional wooden bridges. Iron Bridge in England is famous for being the first bridge made entirely of iron and symbolizes the Industrial Revolution. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, is also symbolic of iron-building techniques developed during the Industrial Age.
  
  

Plumbing

• Iron plumbing pipes kept 19th-century city dwellers clean and healthy.Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
  
  Pipes made from iron changed how people lived their lives. Fresh water and sewage removal were major issues during the Industrial Age. People moved from rural communities to urban areas to seek jobs in factories. By the mid-1800s, more than 3 million people lived in London, England, yet there was no indoor plumbing. Mass produced iron pipes were necessary for implementing modern plumbing systems in urban areas. The ability to transport fresh water from distant sources and remove sewage to remote locations enabled cities, such as New York, to grow and flourish during the Industrial Age.