Ironworks - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Simple English Wiktionary has a definition for: ironworks.

An ironworks or iron works is a place where iron is melted and shaped into heavy iron and steel products.^[1] The word "ironworks" can mean both one place or many places.

Ironworks became common after blast furnaces replaced older ways of working with iron.^[2] In the 19th century, a typical ironworks had one or more blast furnaces and other equipment for making iron.^[3][4] Later, when the Bessemer process was invented, more ironworks began to make steel, and they were often called steelworks instead.^[5]

The work done in ironworks is called ferrous metallurgy, which means working with iron. Sometimes, people use the word "siderurgy," which comes from Greek words for iron and work. This word is more common in French, Spanish, and other Romance languages than in English.

In the past, towns often grew around ironworks because people needed the jobs and housing provided by the ironworks.^[6] When the ironworks closed or changed, these towns often struggled and did not grow as much economically.