Blast Furnace Ironmaking

Timeline

1. 1000–1400Ironmaking regions of northern China · North ChinaFrom the Song dynasty onward, tall blast furnaces were widely used in northern China, blown by water or human power and fired with charcoal for continuous iron output, surpassing other Eurasian regions of the period in quantity and quality.
2. c. 1200–1600Ironmaking regions of Central Europe and the Rhineland · GermanyBlast furnace technology spread from Central Europe to Western Europe, producing pig iron in charcoal-fired furnaces that was then converted to malleable iron by forging or refining, supporting demand for weapons, tools, and construction iron.
3. c. 1610–1700Ironmaking regions of Sweden, Britain, and China · SwedenIn the early 17th century, Sweden, Britain, and others improved blast furnace scale and blowing efficiency, supplying pig iron for European ordnance and shipbuilding; meanwhile China continued its traditional blast furnace system through the Ming–Qing transition, creating a pattern of high-output ironmaking at both ends of Eurasia.