It’s a common theme, and the images that pop into mind may be of early humans during the Iron Age.

But according to Professor Seohyung Kim of Inha University, the history of iron precedes the history of life, and so historians need to look back to the beginning of the universe to fully understand the way iron has shaped humankind and its environment. She gave a special lecture called “History of Iron: Universe, Life and Human,” as part of the exhibition on October 13. Professor Kim studies history from a Big History perspective, or a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of the past that combines science, geology, human history and more to get a better, bigger picture of the past, present and future.

So here’s a look back, way back, into history to see what iron has to do with the history of man.

Stars Exploded and then Iron Existed

Where did iron come from? The stars. To be exact, large, dying stars. In the beginning of the universe, there were only 2 elements in existence- helium and hydrogen. New elements are only created when protons and neutrons fuse together and this requires a lot of heat.

The temperature of a star rises when it uses up all of its hydrogen atoms, and when it uses up all of its helium atoms, it collapses, emitting even more heat. This cycle repeats itself, creating new elements in the process until finally, iron in created. Elements with greater mass than iron are created in a supernova, or the death of a really, really big star.

A piece of meteoric iron formed by the heating and collapsing of a star sits on display at the National Museum of Korea.

So, why is this important?

The variety of elements created by exploding stars are what planets are made of, including earth, and iron makes up 35 percent of the earth’s entire mass.

Humans and their Complex Brains

After the formation of the earth, simple life forms appeared, and then eventually primates and homo sapiens. Humans are the most powerful species on earth, largely due to their complex brains that allowed for the development of language and through it, collective learning.

Iron-rich red meat was an important factor in human-brain development. (Source: Omicrono)

What’s interesting is that around 2.5 million years ago, humans started eating meat rich in iron and calories. Before this change in diet, early humans spent most of their scarce energy on chewing and digesting large amounts of vegetation. With the introduction of meat, their brains got larger as it is a muscle that requires 20 times more energy than muscles in other parts of the body. When humans started cooking meat with fire around 500,000 years ago, they consumed even greater amounts of meat, meaning humans could meet their dietary iron needs, and put their larger brains to use for things like agriculture.

Agriculture and Civilization

Collective learning led to some of the most critical developments is history, including agriculture, which developed after the end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago, as human populations increased due to the fact that they were able to cook and consume meat. Further advancements in farming tools during the Iron Age led to an abundance of food and massive civilizations.

Some iron tools that made farming easier are on display at the National Museum of Korea.

Weapons Made Stronger with Iron

However, farming tools were not the only places where iron was applied. As communities developed around abundant agricultural centers, people decided they wanted more land, labor and power. So, cities waged war on one another with iron tools and armor that were fatally strong.

The Iron Age brought forth improvements in soldiers’ armor, and can be seen at the National Museum of Korea.

One vital invention in the evolution of weapons and tools alike was the wheel. The oldest artifact of the wheel is a potter’s wheel found in Mesopotamia and dates back to about 3500 BC. Then came the wooden wheel that were attached to chariots for effective warfare. Then finally, the Celtics applied iron rims on their chariots for added strength, durability and speed. Paired with iron swords and armor, wars became vastly efficient.

Iron wheels, like this one on display at the National Museum of Korea, enhanced existing wooden wheels.

After many years, the Chinese invented gunpowder triggering a new era of warfare. Iron was used to make rifles, cannons and other gunpowder machines to wipe out massive amounts of people at a time.

The invention of gunpowder led to new weapons such as these Iron rifles on display at the National Museum of Korea.

From Iron to Steel

After centuries of iron spearheading the development of new technologies and civilizations alike, a man named Henry Bessemer introduced a process to produce pure iron with a converter in 1856, known as the Bessemer Process. This invention would lead the way to the commercialization of steel and then eventually the industrial revolution near the end of the 18th century.

The steel industry was met with a rampant rise in steel demand during the second industrial revolution nearly a century later, with the introduction of electricity, gas and oil. Steel consumption continued to thrive into the third industrial revolution as it served the foundations for electronics, computers and automated production systems. As the world enters the fourth industrial revolution, steel will continue to be the bedrock of leading innovation and technology including electric vehicles, sustainable energy facilities and smart manufacturing factories.

Automated robots are part of what workplaces will look like in the fourth industrial revolution. (Source: Business Insider)

Looking back on history, the role and value of iron and steel in human development is indisputable. And to think, it all started with the death of a star.

Cover photo courtesy of BBC.

The fourth industrial revolution is heralded by big data, the internet of things, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality, 3D printing and other technological innovations. It’s happening at rapid speed. The steel industry needs to keep up and take advantage of all that this revolution has to offer.

However, the industrial revolution did not happen overnight, and advancements in human development traces back to the Iron Age.  

The Iron Age and How it Impacted Civilization

After the Bronze Age was the Iron Age. People started using iron and steel for tools. This was a huge shift for the world, and helped improve nearly all spheres of life from the spread of written language to more effective agricultural practices. Iron offered more choice. People could forge this material into whatever they needed for tools, weapons, or ornaments and decor.

Blacksmiths would have used tools like this during the Iron Age.

Tools and weapons created during this era often used steel, which was a vast improvement on the bronze items from the previous age. Items made from steel were just as light as bronze, but stronger, so users were able to get more out of each item they created. The strength of these tools made it possible for farmers to plant and harvest more land, faster. It enabled people to sell or trade for livelihood.

The Iron Age is a great example of how the right materials can make life better for everyone.

The New Structure of Steel

As the world moves through the fourth industrial revolution, it is evident the same thing is happening. Instead of improvements in specific materials and tools, however, technology is changing things.

The steel production process can be completed autonomously if the fourth industrial revolution continues the way it is going. This means that manufacturers will be able to have very detailed and thorough control over production, using smart technology that will factor in every element from the surrounding environment to minute details of the material itself. The steel production process will be able to use real-time data to optimize every facet of operations, saving money and time.

Robot arms with artificial intelligence take part in the steel production process. (Source: Telenor Connexion)

The steel value chain is affected by changes in the provision of after-sales service, owing to new technology. Manufacturers can use smart technology to track how users interact with their completed products and offer better customer service as a result.

Again, real-time information comes into play, allowing steel companies to see exactly how orders are being created, fulfilled and used, as it is happening. Customer needs are met with ease and speed, all tracked and analyzed digitally.

Competition in the steel industry will be affected by this revolution, too. Competitors can see how other companies are using big data and automation to save money and offer a better customer experience, and use those details to revolutionize their offerings. Online steel transaction platforms make this transparency even more accessible, for companies and clients alike.

Implications on the Steel Industry

To keep up with this revolution, and make the most of it, steel companies need to understand the implications on the industry and plan for the future. New technology is only going to become more widespread, more common, and more advanced. Companies need to be ready to react.

Integrating technology and smart software is the ideal way for steel companies, and the industry at large, to take advantage of this new revolution and use it to create better products and better customer relationships.

To get an idea of how to best integrate new tech into existing steel practices, POSCO’s smart steel factory is a prime example, currently being tested at the Gwangyang Steel Mill. POSCO’s smart factories will collect and analyze all of the microdata generated in the steel production process, to determine the cause of every event that impacts quality or production in general.

An image of how POSCO’s Smart Factory will be run.

From facilities to energy and environment, to safety and conditions, the smart factory will monitor everything. And it will respond accordingly to make the best quality steel possible.

Self-learning artificial intelligence ensures that the process of steelmaking is carefully controlled, with adjustments made in real-time to directly and positively impact the result. The smart factories will use technology to fill the gaps where human capabilities are simply no match for software.

The world has come a long way since the Iron Age and through the various industrial revolutions. In the current fourth industrial revolution, steel companies have to take advantage of new technology and innovations by figuring out ways to apply them to steelmaking processes. POSCO has made this a top priority as it continues to research, educate and implement smart technologies to its production processes and materials and will lead the way for steel companies to follow through the fourth industrial revolution.   

Cover photo courtesy of Manufacturing Global.

From Bronze to Iron
The adoption of iron and steel directly impacted changes in society, affecting agricultural procedures and artistic expression, and also coincided with the spread of written language. In historical archaeology, the earliest preserved manuscripts are from the Iron Age. This is due to the introduction of alphabetic characters, which allowed literature to flourish and for societies to record historic texts.
The beginning of the Iron Age differs from region to region. It is characterized by the use of iron in tools, weapons, personal ornaments, pottery and design. The differences from the preceding age of bronze were due to more advanced ways of processing iron. Because iron is softer than bronze, it could be forged, making design move from rectilinear patterns to curvilinear, flowing designs.

Iron smelting is much more difficult than tin and copper smelting. These metals and their alloys can be cold-worked, but smelted iron requires hot-working and can be melted only in specially designed furnaces. Iron fragments found in present day Turkey (c. 1800 BC) show the use of carbon steel. These iron fragments are the earliest known evidence of steel manufacturing.
It is believed that a shortage of tin forced metalworkers to seek an alternative to bronze. Many bronze objects were recycled into weapons during this time. The widespread use of the more readily available iron ore led to improved efficiency of steel-making technology. By the time tin became available again, iron was cheaper, stronger and lighter, and forged iron replaced bronze tools permanently.
During the Iron Age, the best tools and weapons were made from steel, particularly carbon alloys. Steel weapons and tools were nearly the same weight as those of bronze, but much stronger.

Iron Age: Daily Life
Before the Industrial Revolution, which would take place centuries later, the majority of people lived an agrarian lifestyle. Most people were farmers, and their lives revolved around the farming seasons. Societies consisted of villages where communities of families worked the land and made necessities for living by hand. All essentials were made or grown locally.
The production of iron tools helped make the farming process easier and more efficient. Farmers could plow tougher soil, making it possible to harvest new crops and freeing time for more leisure. New varieties of crops and livestock were introduced at different times over the span of the Iron Age.
More time also meant that people could make extra supplies to sell or exchange. Some farming families spent part of their time making salt, quern stones or iron. Most settlements have evidence of making clothes, woodworking and even blacksmithing.
Iron has been enhancing the quality of life for centuries. As more advanced technologies for processing iron were discovered, the world would experience the most rapid period of growth.

Just as civilizations experienced rapid advancement during and after the Iron Age, the fourth industrial revolution of today is changing the dynamics of markets and industries. Find out more about how companies should adapt and capitalize on the change, including steel companies.

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