Materials · 1828

Hot blast

Preheating the furnace air cuts fuel use by about two thirds.

James Beaumont Neilson patented the hot blast in 1828 in Scotland. Iron smelting became far cheaper and could use raw coal.

Arcs above join it to what it stood on, arcs below to what it led to. The bar places this stretch on the tree's whole timeline.

What it built on 1

The dashed line marks when it first worked.

Output of key industries in England, 1270-1870 Latest: Coal: 3.77k index (1700=100) (1870) Source: Our World in Data

UK coal production since 1700 Latest: 2.17M tonnes (2019) Source: Our World in Data