crucible steel

Crucible steel is a type of hard cast steel made by melting steel in a crucible, a pot made of refractory material. This process, first used in India and central Asia around the early 1st millennium CE, involves heating iron with carbon-rich materials in closed vessels.12

Benjamin Huntsman is credited with re-establishing the process in Britain around 1740, achieving temperatures high enough to melt steel for the first time. This allowed for the creation of homogeneous metal with uniform composition, crucial for items like watch springs. The crucible process enabled the production of alloy steels by adding elements to the molten metal. While it was a significant advancement, it was largely replaced by electric-arc furnaces in the 20th century.13