Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "坩堝鋼" in Chinese language version.
All high-quality tool steel and high-speed steel was long made by the crucible process,...
The process was devised again in Britain about 1740 by Benjamin Huntsman, who heated small pieces of carbon steel in a closed fireclay crucible placed in a coke fire. The temperature he was able to achieve (1,600 °C [2,900 °F]) was high enough to permit melting steel for the first time, producing a homogeneous metal of uniform composition that he used to manufacture watch and clock springs.
The crucible process allowed alloy steels to be produced for the first time, since alloying elements could be added to the molten metal in the crucible
...but it went into decline from the early 20th century, as electric-arc furnaces became more widely used. It is believed that the last crucible furnace in Sheffield was operated until 1968.
All high-quality tool steel and high-speed steel was long made by the crucible process,...
The process was devised again in Britain about 1740 by Benjamin Huntsman, who heated small pieces of carbon steel in a closed fireclay crucible placed in a coke fire. The temperature he was able to achieve (1,600 °C [2,900 °F]) was high enough to permit melting steel for the first time, producing a homogeneous metal of uniform composition that he used to manufacture watch and clock springs.
The crucible process allowed alloy steels to be produced for the first time, since alloying elements could be added to the molten metal in the crucible
...but it went into decline from the early 20th century, as electric-arc furnaces became more widely used. It is believed that the last crucible furnace in Sheffield was operated until 1968.
