Steelmaking 101

What is steel? Why is it so important to our economy?  How is it made? Chemical Engineer Chuck Higdon’s Steelmaking 101 presentation will allow the layperson to understand the most important aspects of the steelmaking process: cokemaking, blast furnace production of pig iron/hot metal, and the various ways to convert blast furnace iron to steel.  Complete with multimedia explanations of the steelmaking process and a question and answer session, this presentation will help explain the complex processes that occurred here in Bethlehem and still happen across the world.

Mr. Higdon is a graduate of UC San Diego with a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering and a graduate of UC Berkeley with a Masters in Chemical Engineering, as well as a B.S. in English Literature from Dartmouth College.  With over 26 years of chemical engineering experience at Air Products and Chemicals Inc., he develop and designed novel gas processing and energy technologies, as well as worked closely with steel companies to improve energy efficiency and blast furnace performance.  His work as taken him through numerous steel plants spanning three continents.  Helping the public understand industrial technology as one of NMIH’s docents is one of his great joys in semi-retirement.  He continues to consult part-time for industrial clients.

This event is part of NMIH’s Steel Weekend, a celebration dedicated to the structural steel industry happening September 28-29.  This lecture is free with museum admission.