The Vast Growth of the Iron and Steel Industry

 

When James Watt invented the steam engine in the latter part of the 18th century, the whole industrial scene changed. Steam power made possible the ‘Industrial Revolution’ in Britain. Vast quantities of metal were needed for the railways pioneered by the Stevensons, and the huge iron ships and bridges of Brunel. In Sheffield, the centre of the iron and steel industry, the output of metals multiplied fifty times in thirty-five years.

During this expansion, improved tools were invented for use in the factories and many steam-powered tools were invented and developed. One of the most famous of these tools was the steam-hammer designed by James Nasmyth about 1830. It was used to forge the huge shafts and plates required in the ships of the time, and could be accurately controlled to give heavy blows or light taps. In fact, to impress visitors to the foundry an egg was placed on the anvil and cracked by the hammer without breaking the egg shell. Other machine-tools invented and developed included the rolling-mill which could roll metal, either hot or cold, into thin sheets.

A British metallurgist Henry Cort took out a patent in 1783 for a mill to roll iron sheets and bars. In 1784 he improved the puddling process by hollowing out the bottom of the reverberatory furnace so as to contain the molten metal in this puddle. Railway lines could be made in this way, the hole in the press being suitably shaped to the section of the railway-line. Puddling played a great role in the development of iron and steel industry in Britain during the Industrial Revolution.

These tremendous advances in engineering were matched by improvements in the quality of metals, and the metallurgists were as active and successful as the engineers. Between 1750 and 1850 no less than thirty-five more metals were discovered. Many of these were unimportant but three were outstanding, nickel, cobalt, and manganese, the latter to play a vital part in steel production.

Task 1.

Phonetic Exercise

Practise after the speaker and learn to pronounce the words given below.

 

engine /’enjin/; industrial /in’d/\ stri'l/; industry /’ind /\ stri/; revolution / rev'‘lu: ò n/; multiplied /’m/\ ltiplaid/; designed /di’zaind/; forge /fo:j/; shaft /òa:ft/; required /ri’kwai'd/; accurately /’ж kjur'tli/; anvil /’ж nvil/; machine /m'‘òi:n/; extrusion /’eks’tru: ò n/; tremendous /tri’mend's/; engineering /enji’ni'rih/; reverberatory /ri’v': b'r't'ri/.

 

 

Task 2.

Lexical Exercises

Exercise 1. Find the English equivalents for the words and word-

combinations. Use them in the sentences of your own.

 

изобрести паровой двигатель; Промышленная революция; увеличиться в пятьдесят раз; модернизированные орудия труда; изобретать; паровой молот; ось (шпиндель); литейный цех; прокатный стан; пудлиргование; выдавливать углубление (полость); отражательная печь.

 

Exercise 2. Match the English words and word-combinations given

below with their Russian equivalents.

 

1. the latter part of the century 1. производство стали

2. vast quantities of smth 2. наковальня

3. output of metals 3. прогресс в технике

4. to impress visitors 4. качество металлов

5. anvil 5. играть важнейшую роль в ч-л

6. railway lines 6. последняя часть/конец века

7. advances in engineering 7. производство металлов

8. the quality of metals 8. железнодорожные рельсы

9. to play a vital part 9. огромное количество ч-л

10. steel production 10. производить большое впечатление

на посетителей

 

Exercise 3. Answer the following questions

 

1. When did James Watt invent the steam engine? 2. What was the result of his invention? 3. Where was steam-hammer first used? 4. Who invented the rolling-mill? 5. What is the purpose of the rolling mill? 6. What is the puddling process used for? 7. Were any new metals discovered between 1750 and 1850?

 

Exercise 4. Choose the word or phrase which best completes each

sentence.

 

1.... iron is a relatively soft silvery metal.

a) clean b) mixed c) pure

2. All but 20 of the over 100 elements identified to date are...

a) metals b) gases c) non-metals

3. Only 7 metals are common in the earth’s...

a) surface b) crust c) underground

4. Copper was the first metal... by man.

a)invented b) opened c) discovered

5. The steam-hammer was... by James Nasmyth.

a) elaborated b) designed c) worked out

6. Gold, silver and copper have always been... for their qualities.

a)praised b) respected c) valued

Exercise 5. Give a written translation of the following passages.

 

1. Thomas, Sidney Gitchrist (1850 - 1885), a British metallurgist. Educated at Dulwich college. Served as a clerk at the Court of London and attended evening lectures at the Royal Mining School. While looking for ways and means of making steel from high-phosphorus pig iron in the Bessemer converter, he devised (with assistance from his cousin Peter Gilchrist) in 1878 what later became known as the Thomas-Gilchrist process in England or the Thomas process on the continent. Took out several patents covering the process between 1877 and 1882. Predicted that the high-phosphorus slag from his process could be used as a soil conditioner and stimulant to plant growth.

 

2. Obuhov, Pavel Matveyevich (1820 - 1869), a Russian metallurgist. Graduated from the St.Petersburg Corps of Mining Engineers with honours in 1843. Was sent to work in the Urals. Was appointed Manager of the Zlatoust Arms Factory in 1854, where he completed his improvements of the crucible process. Was granted in 1857 the privilege of using his process for the large-scale production of high-quality cast steel. Designed in the late 1850s a factory to make steel field guns, which went into operation at the Prince Mihail Factory in 1860. This started the use of cast steel for gun barrels and was a turning point for Russian artillery. Obuhov’s steel field gun which had fired over 4000 rounds without damage was awarded a gold medal at the World Exhibition in London in 1862. Elected a corresponding member of the Artillery Committee and appointed Chief of the Zlatoust Mining District in 1861. Headed the construction of a major steel works in St. Petersburg in 1863, later named after him.

Task 3.

Focus on Grammar

Present Perfect And Perfect Continuous

The Present Perfect Tense is used when there is a connection with the present.

I have done my homework, so I can go for a walk now.

The Present Perfect Tense is used to give new information or to announce a recent happening.

I’ve met him. He is a very nice person.

The Present Perfect Tense is used with just, ever, never, yet, lately, already, of late, for ages, recently, this week/year.

The Present Perfect Tense always tells us about the present. The Past Simple tells us about the past.

He saw wolves in the forest. (but there are no wolves now,

or he is not alive)

He has seen wolves in the forest (they are still there, so the

forest is dangerous)

На русский язык Present Perfect переводится глаголом прошедшего времени совершенного вида.

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense = to have been + Present Participle

This tense is used for an action which began in the past and is still continuing (usually with for and since):

 

I’ve been waiting for an hour and he hasn’t come yet.