Steel question for Rick

[Towntalk]

Thanks Rick. The history books I have of Youngstown use these terms, but do not explain them so that folks like myself can understand them.

You're a great resource on the industry, and again I thank you.

[Rick Rowlands]

Both processes refine pig iron into steel by burning out excess carbon and other impurities.  The puddling furnace is used in the production of wrought iron. Wrought iron is very close in composition to a low carbon steel, but contains strands of slag within the metal put there by the working of the metal in the furnace.  Wrought iron is made in batches of 200 to 300 pounds at a time.

An open hearth is similar to the puddling furnace in construction but is much larger and has a far greater capacity of 75 to 250 tons per heat.

[Towntalk]

Rick, what's the difference between a puddling process and open hearth?