Bessemer, << BEHS uh muhr, >> Sir Henry (1813-1898), a British engineer, devised the Bessemer process for converting pig iron into steel. In this process, air is blown through the molten pig iron, burning out most of its impurities. Bessemer patented his process in 1855, and the British iron industry eagerly adopted it. The process made steel inexpensive to produce, and its use spread throughout the world. Although the process remained in use until after World War II (1939-1945), the open-hearth method had become more important by 1910.
Bessemer was born on Jan. 19, 1813, in Hertfordshire. As a young man, he worked with metals, inventing processes for electroplating objects with copper and for making gold and bronze powder. He also invented a typesetting machine. Bessemer was one of the most honored engineers of his time. He was knighted in 1879. He died on March 15, 1898.