cementation process

Metallurgical process for producing steel from bar iron.

For this purpose, iron bars were annealed in a furnace under exclusion of air with coal powder and other additives for a longer period of time.

This process, which is also called ‘carburizing’, increased the carbon content, but was complex and expensive. In addition, only a relatively small amount of steel could be produced in one firing. In England, the product was known as blister steel. In the 19th century, this technique quickly lost importance thanks to the spread of the puddling process.

In German Eisenhüttenkunde, this process was also called Brennstahlbereitung.

Cite as: cementation process. In: Travel Reports of a Pioneer: Digital Edition of the Travel Journals of Johann Conrad Fischer 1794–1851. Published by Franziska Eggimann. Edited by Franziska Eggimann, Nicolau Lutz, Valerija Rukavina und Christopher Zoller-Blundell. Schlatt 2023, Version 1.2, https://johannconradfischer.com/en/keywords/gfa-keywords-8757, viewed on 7 June 2025.