Bessemer converter
- noun
- /ˈbɛsəmər kənˈvɜrtər/
- Archaic
:
convertidor Bessemer
- Liquid pig iron is poured into the Bessemer converter to undergo rapid oxidation and removal of impurities.
Examples
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The invention of the Bessemer converter revolutionized the steelmaking industry in the 19th century.
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Many early steel mills featured at least one massive Bessemer converter at the heart of their operation.
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The Bessemer converter revolutionized steel production in the 19th century.
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Many factories still use the Bessemer converter for efficiency.
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Liquid pig iron is poured into the Bessemer converter to undergo rapid oxidation and removal of impurities.
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Many early steel mills featured at least one massive Bessemer converter at the heart of their operation.
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The invention of the Bessemer converter revolutionized the steelmaking industry in the 19th century.
Synonyms
46
4.1
A device that changes something into another form, like power or sound
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is a straightforward eponymous noun: 'Bessemer' (the inventor) + 'converter' (a device that transforms), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it is a device associated with Bessemer that converts one material into another (here, pig iron into steel). Naming devices after inventors is a common, transparent formation across languages, so the specific technical details are not required to grasp the basic meaning.
Etymology
Bessemer converter is named after Henry Bessemer, who invented a big furnace that turned 'pig iron' into 'steel'. The converter worked by blowing air through the hot metal to 'convert' 'pig iron' into 'steel', so the name now means the furnace used for that change.