Jamie
I am reminded that charcoal was used in Swedish blast-furnaces until
relatively recently. I feel sure that they were still operating in the 1950s
at Domnarvet.I remeber seeing hand (wheelbarrow) charging of one of the
furnaces there in the 1960s, but or the life of me I cannot remember whether
they were using coke or charcoal.
Having left the modern iron and steel world 25 years ago (my only contacts
now are with people working in archaeometallurgy - or "palaeosiderurgy", as
a former colleague of mine at the old Iron and Steel Institute in London
once christened it), I have lost most of my old contacts. However, the
Swedish Ironmasters Association (Jernkontoret), based in Stockholm, has
always taken an acticve interest in the history of the industry, and may
well have archival material of use to you. Sorry, I don't have an address
for Jernkontoret here in Paris, where I am working. You might try the
American Iron and Steel Institute or the Swedish Embassy in Washington for help.
By the way, is there nothing of use in Percy's Metallurgy - Iron and Steel?
My copy is unfortunately in the UK and so I cannot check it right now.
I noted Peter Hutchinson's remarks about H R Schubert's "History of the
British Iron and Steel Industry". This is pretty good on the historical
aspects - HRS was an historian by training - but technological data in his
book have to be approached with some caution.
Henry Cleere
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