José Manuel Mustafá Flores | Intrafeca | Industria de Transformación Ferrosa

José Manuel Mustafá: What is The Relationship Between Fire and Iron?

During the Industrial Revolution, starting with gray iron and later with steel, the key elements in the construction of hanging bridges, steam ships, trains and their tracks, industrial machinery and building structures were born.

The twentieth century witnesses the new iron and steel work advances, present during the First World War, only increasing during the Second One.

“Iron and steel works” refer to the techniques that turn iron into other, different types of iron, or its many alloys.

The process of transforming the iron mineral starts from its extraction from the mines, present in nature as oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, silicates and sulfur.

Its processing remained virtually unchanged from the time of the Hittites to the middle Ages; it consisted of wrought iron obtained by direct reduction, producing a less resistant, flexible metal than the one we currently use.

The technique changes in the fourteenth century, when Catalonian smithies become popular in Europe, capable of generating up to 1.200ºC, which makes for higher quality iron.

Catalonian smithies were metalworking establishments dedicated to the production of iron in the Middle Ages, consisting of a forge that could reach very high temperatures, which allowed impurities to be removed from the iron. The technique was used until the creation of blast furnaces, which allowed for the mass production of high-quality gray iron, stronger and more elastic than wrought iron. Towards the ends of the nineteenth century, they also allowed for the mass production of high-quality steel.

Raw material for the construction of hanging bridges and other important structures of the times.

A history of growth and the search of perfection, since the higher the iron was heated, the greater its resistance and malleability, two key elements that make iron a useful boon, forever intertwined within the history of humankind.

In conclusion, fire is the key, the true way to temper iron and make it as strong as steel, demonstrating through the centuries the history of iron’s transformation.

Jose Manuel Mustafa: Is Iron as Important Today as It Was in Pre-Historic Times?

Iron is an important element of industry due to the fact that is one of the most-used hard metals, as well as the fact that pure iron can be used to create alloys such as steel, among others.

Iron is a transition metal, one of the most abundant in the earth’s cortex, found among the many that make-up our planet’s main core, and even our bodies.

Iron has been part of man’s evolution on the planet, allowing us to develop technology from its simplest forms to its current ones, so advanced that our ancestors could never even dream of them.

It has been used in the construction of a many objects and buildings, as well as a great number of tools, and even art pieces, due to its extraordinarily complex combination of both strength and malleability.

It is also ferromagnetic, that physical phenomenon that produces magnetism, even at room temperature and normal atmospheric pressure conditions, which gives it great density and toughness.

Given the metal’s historic importance, prestigious for all the reasons we have mentioned and many more, one must wonder if, in this new century, is iron as important to human kind as it was before?

Currently, and despite the many advancements humans have made through the centuries, iron continues to be an important tool for all of humankind, part of the earth’s main components, and even our own bodies.

Without a doubt, iron is a valuable and indispensable part of the daily life of both the society of knowledge and the world as a whole.

It remains an important element in a number of industries; due to its toughness and the many uses it has in different concentrations in the iron and steel industry, and the fact that it is the raw material of a number of alloys such as the ever so important steel.

Steel, so used in the automobile industry, the construction of buildings, the manufacturing of ships and planes, among other uses.

Before this evidence, how could we even imagine a world without iron?

It almost seems unthinkable to consider devaluating a metal that is part of the human body itself, that is to say, life itself.

José Manuel Mustafá: Extradosed Bridges

In today’s post we are going to talk about one of my favorite kind of bridges: extradosed bridges. It’s not a common type of bridge. It is a mixture between cable-stayed and metal beam bridges built on the air and with a large variation of lights.

Let us talk about its origins. Then, we will move on to their work and on basic predimensioning criteria and, finally, we will tackle its advantages and disadvantages compared to other types.

Nowadays, there are two versions about the origin of extradosed bridges. The first one comes from Cristhian Menn’s concept, who in 1980 proposed the construction of Ganter bridge in Switzerland in order to save a valley of 140 meters of altitude using a superstructure made from a cable-stayed metal beam box with walls and rigid pillars to endure the windy climate.

Although, the configuration for the cables was innovative at the time, the structure was admire by its esthetic and its blending with the landscape.

The second version comes from the Mathivat concept, who proposed this type for the Arrêt Darré viaduct in France. Mathivat proposed a bridge in which the the internal binds of the pillar were replaced by external cables in a low tower over the supports. This solution meant 30% less material regarding the metal beam, as well as an adequate use of the cables. However, the proposal was rejected in the contest.

Regardless these two versions, the world first’s extradosed bridge was Odawara Blueway bridge in Japan, built in 1994 by japanese engieneers inspired by Mathivat’s proposal.

José Manuel Mustafá: Metallic Structures in Construction

The use of metals in the construction industry dates back to Ancient Greece times, where beams of wrought iron were used to build some temples. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine any type of construction that does not use metal as one of its base materials.

Steel is one of those materials that stands out due to its properties and uses in the construction of many different projects, such as buildings, bridges and railways, among others. However, conditions exist that make it and even more ideal material for any given work: the material’s availability in the area, the need to finish work in a speedy manner, small work spaces, crowded areas where the structure’s purpose would change with time, as well as open spaces such as public establishments or halls, etc.

On the other hand, despite the fact that metal structures are in high-demand due to their practicality, conditions may exist that limit their use, among which you may find:

Construction projects situated in areas with unfavorable weather conditions, like the sea, shore areas or industrial centers where its use is not favorable or affordable.
Buildings that require great dynamic efficacy.
Storage areas, laboratories and, generally, areas with a high fire risk.

While corroded metal constructions, product of environmental conditions, are a common sight, nowadays those issues have been greatly reduced in recent construction projects thanks to new, adverse weather-resistant composites as well as the application of protective treatments such as paint and specialized chemical additives.

Regarding structures, metallic ones should be designed to support both vertical and horizontal actions, just the same way concrete does. In the case of horizontal actions, these should be taken into particular account when it comes to the construction of buildings of great height, as it is precisely in these that these new findings can produce even more interesting results.

Generally speaking, the use of metallic materials and structures is very important for the construction industry, being highly beneficial so long as all possible risk factors are taken into accounts.

José Manuel Mustafá: Steel and Its Role in Human History

Steel and Its Role in Human History

Steel is one of the most abundant elements in our planet. Thanks to its characteristics, it has been a long time since it became one of humanity’s most important materials. Saying that its discovery — as well as the ways to use it — have shaped the world as we know it today, would not be an exaggeration.

Trains, ships, planes, cars, tools, guns, cooking utensils, knives, axes, accessories such as necklaces, structures like towers, bridges, and vehicles such as motorcycles are, among countless others, part of our daily life that would not exist if not for the use of steel as one of their main components. This demonstrates just how important this material has been for the whole of humanity.

Nowadays, it remains one of the main materials that the world’s economy revolves around, to the point in which the US decided to tax the material usually imported from China; a decision that will undoubtedly have worldwide ramifications and will greatly affect the material’s price.

What Made Steel Such an Indispensable Tool for Humanity?

It took some time before men understood how to best work the material, mainly because they lacked the necessary furnaces, which require high levels of heat in order to melt it. Centuries would go by before the first one was created, but once it did, steel became more valuable than gold, and was only used in accessories.

When it came to weapons, steel became fundamental in the creation of sword and knives Sharp enough to go through enemy armor, forever changing the way war was fought. So, as you can see, it has been a history-changing material.

Even today, constant technological advances help create new techniques and compounds that use steel as its main ingredient, allowing us to make even greater and better use of it while also reducing costs and increasing resistance. As such, we can be sure that the near future will see countless new inventions that will use this material as its main component.

Jose Manuel Mustafa | The Steel Industry
Gallery
Jose Manuel Mustafa | The Steel Industry

Sin categor

Jose Manuel Mustafa | The Steel Industry

The iron industry is one of the most important industries of the world not only because of the money it enters, but also because of the importance of this material in the construction of elements that we use daily.

Airplanes, cars, motorbikes, trains, machinery in general, among others are some of the products that use steel as raw material. Not only that this material is necessary for their construction but also most of the tools with which they are made rely on steel.

Although its paramount importance for the world economic development, this industry has been affected by various factors that go from the reduction of imports, the reduction of growth of countries such as China: an aspect that affected the most important steel producer of the words, enterprises full of debts, to the scandals in Japan regarding the problems in the fabrication with byproducts of this material.

In Venezuela, SIDOR is the enterprise in charge of working with this material. It has endured a prolonged decrease in its production due to management problems that have not allowed this enterprise to get back in the path of success even if the enterprise was private and give important benefits to the Venezuelan economy.

A global market that is marked by the price fluctuations and the reduction of the demand, but with stocks at good levels, believes in the stabilization of China and the increase of the demand in order to give more jobs that go along with what is expected to be a vital sector of our society.

India is one of the countries that play an important role when it comes to steel in a global level. The demand has increased, the imports decreases but measures were taken in order to avoid that steel of other countries entered this countries to be commercialized in a mayor scale.

[Jose Manuel Mustaf?] Iron Without Ironies: Important Materials
Gallery
[Jose Manuel Mustaf?] Iron Without Ironies: Important Materials

Sin categor

[Jose Manuel Mustaf?] Iron Without Ironies: Important Materials

If you think that there are?materials?that are?helpful?in spite of how unpopular they might be, then you should think on how good?iron?can be for you. Remember that there are many items that will need iron in order to be made . For example, there are many?knives,?forks,?spoons?and other?kitchen?items that are made with iron.

Do not forget that?iron?is very useful because of the nice conduction it has for?electricity?and?heat. This is necessary in almost everyones kitchen. If it was not because of iron, it would be kind of weird to think of a?kitchen?were?wooden?tool were used still today.

Of course, there are other use besides being part of the?kitchen?and?culinary?arts. Remember that?musical?instrument?will commonly need iron part so that they can be?manufactured. There are electric guitar components that will be made of iron and they will be needed so that electricity can flow properly in the instrument. This is similar for the?drums?of many bands today but they do not necessarily need electricity but a good resonance instead.

If you have been thinking on how good it can be iron for many?study fields,?you should remember that iron is needed for architects and engineer in the?construction?of many?structures. Architects will need iron skeletons to create buildings so that they do not fall apart.

So as you can see, iron is a very important?material?and even if it is not the most valuable one, it urely ha quite a good?relevance?for many people the world today.

It is not an?irony?but more of an?iron?business!

[Jose Manuel Mustafa]: Silver Is Important!
Gallery
[Jose Manuel Mustafa]: Silver Is Important!

Jose Manuel Mustafá, Metals, Silver

[Jose Manuel Mustafa]: Silver Is Important!

If you want to know how important silver is, you should keep reading this article.

[Jose Manuel Mustafa]: Silver

Remember that silver is a material that has been important for decades in commerce and even if some people just think of it as second place it has more than an?Olympic meaning.

Silver has been used for commerce in history, in the present and it will probably be part of the future. It is one of the main materials used in the creation of jewelry.

Necklace, bracelets, rings and other fashion items are designed with silver covers. There are as well many items in industrial works that may require silver and that could not be done with the proper use of this important material.

You may be impressed when you see how silver is molded in the industries under very high temperatures. After being extracted from the mine, that is the only known way to give it a good shape, so it can become the item that you are using tin the present.

[Jose Manuel Mustafa]: Silver and its importance

Among some cool facts on this material, it is possible to remark these ones:

The atomic number of silver is 47.
The melting point is 1,763.2 degrees Fahrenheit which means 961.78 in Celcius.
The atomic weight is 107.8682.
Its phase in room temperature: solid.
The boiling point would be 3,924 Fahrenheit and (2,162 C)
According to evidence, silver mine activity has its data in the year 3000 B.C. you can be sure that this material is going to still be important if it has been so necessary in those many years!

A material with this much need will keep other important uses that can be necessary,?so that more people can get them at home and for work purposes.

By?

[Jose Manuel Mustafa].

About José Manuel Mustafá Flores