Huntsman, Benjamin

Huntsman, Benjamin

(born 1704, Holland—died June 21, 1776, Sheffield, Yorkshire, Eng.) British inventor of the crucible process. A clockmaker and instrument maker, Huntsman opened a plant in Sheffield c. 1740, where he produced steel for clock and watch springs. His new process yielded cast steel more uniform in composition and freer from impurities than any previously produced. Sheffield steelmakers used the crucible process to achieve worldwide dominance in the production of tool and other high-quality steels.

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Huntsman, Benjamin 

Born June 4, 1704, in Lincolnshire; died 1776 in Attercliffe. Originator of the crucible technique in the production of cast steel (about 1740).

Huntsman was born in England of German parentage. The crucible process was apparently known in antiquity in the countries of Asia (India and elsewhere), but the technology of this process remained a secret and was unknown in Europe. Huntsman smelted bits of wrought and cast iron (smelted with charcoal) together with a small quantity of flux. For a long time the crucible process was the sole method of production of cast steel.

REFERENCE

Beck, L. Die Geschichte des Eisens in technischer und kulturgeschichtlicher Beziehung, section 3. Braunschweig, 1897.