A historical overview of the origin and evolution of ferrous metallurgy, fundamentals of producing iron and its alloys, is presented. The paper shows the sequence of discoveries behind the technology of iron and steel, the effect of carbon on the formation of cast iron and steel, as well as the progress in foundry and thermomechanical treatment of iron alloys, which promoted the development of large-scale production that laid the foundation for industrial development and material basis of civilization.
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Translated from Poroshkovaya Metallurgiya, Vol. 55, Nos. 1–2 (507), pp. 147–160, 2015.
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Gnesin, G.G. Iron Age: Origin and Evolution of Ferrous Metallurgy. Powder Metall Met Ceram 55, 114–123 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11106-016-9786-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11106-016-9786-z