History of Steel
1856: Invention of the Modern Steel: Bessemer Process
While the introduction of steel dates back to 250 BC, most credit Henry Bessemer with the invention of the “modern steel” in 1856. He founded the Bessemer Steel Company in Sheffield, England. Today, steel is still produced using technology based on the Bessemer Process of blowing air through molten pig iron to oxidize the material and separate impurities. The Bessemer process helped the steel industry to produce steel in large quantities using a cost effective method.
1865: Open-Hearth Process of Steel Production
In 1865, an open-hearth furnace was first applied for making steel. Production of steel requires extreme heat because of its high melting point. The open-hearth process overcame that difficulty. However, the process consumed a lot of fuel and created a dangerous working environment.
1952: Basic Oxygen Process
The basic oxygen process was much more efficient than the open-hearth method and thus replaced it completely. It used pure oxygen as the only fuel in the furnace.
1960: Electric Arc Furnace
The electric arc furnace revolutionized the steel industry by utilizing an electric arc to heat charge materials. This process provided a more efficient and flexible way of manufacturing steel. It allows steel to be recycled from scrap metal. Nucor, now the largest steel producer in the U.S., introduced the Electric Arc Furnace process in this country in 1969.
(Source: AISI)
To learn about the evolution of Nucor as a steel company click here
|
Nucor is America’s largest steel producer and North America’s largest recycler. We have approximately 200 operating facilities, employing over 20,000 teammates.
Our origin as America's largest steel producer began in 1905 when the REO Motor Car Company, a pio¬neer automaker best known for founding Oldsmobile, purchased a series of subsidiary companies. The new conglomerate was renamed Nuclear Corporation of America in 1955.
One of those subsidiaries instilled with the resourceful spirit for which we would become so well known was Vulcraft Corporation, a South Carolina producer of steel joists and joist girders. In 1966, the company's leadership team of Ken Iverson and Sam Seigel wagered on a new industry trend emerging in Europe that promised increased productivity and efficiency.
In 1969, the two entrepreneurs opened the first American "minimill" in Darlington, S.C., betting that it would revolutionize the domestic steel industry. They were right. Since the minimill was smaller and less expensive to construct than the traditional iron ore mills, our business of producing lower-cost steel from scrap metal quickly mushroomed and grew into an American manufacturing success story. In 1972, our company offi¬cially adopted the name Nucor Corporation.
The success of the minimill has made Nucor North America's largest recycler. This standing has been hard earned by recycling one ton of steel every two seconds. We are especially proud of this achievement – a testament to our ongoing commitment to the environment.
An innovator when it comes to protecting the environment, our company leads by example in the steel in¬dustry as members of the U.S. Green Building Council, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Na¬tional Environmental Performance Track program, and the U.S. Government’s voluntary Climate VlSION program. According to the U.S. EPA, the United States' steel industry produces more steel than it did in 1990, but with about 40 percent less carbon dioxide emissions. No other industry can claim such results.
Headquartered in Charlotte. N.C., and led by CEO Dan DiMicco, our company and its affiliates manufacture carbon and alloy steel — in bars, beams, sheet and plate; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabri¬cated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; steel fasteners; metal building systems; light gauge steel framing; steel gloating and expanded metal; and wire and wire mesh. Nucor, through The David J. Joseph Company, also brokers ferrous metals, pig iron and HBI/DRI; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and non ferrous scrap. Nucor is North America's largest recycler.
And lastly, our team members don't just work in the areas where these products are manufactured. They are your neighbors, little league coaches, PTA members and volunteers engaged in the community. In ad¬dition to these activities of each individual division, the Nucor Foundation has donated more than $43.5 million toward scholarships for our employees' children since 1974.
|
