What is wrought iron?

What is Wrought Iron?

Wrought iron is composed primarily of elemental iron with small amounts (1–2 percent) of added slag (the by-product of iron ore smelting, generally consisting of a mixture of silicon, sulfur, phosphorous, and aluminum oxides). Wrought iron is made by repeatedly heating the material and working it with tools to deform it.

Wrought iron is highly malleable, allowing it to be heated, and re-heated, and worked into various shapes-wrought iron grows stronger the more it's worked and is characterized by its fibrous appearance. Wrought iron contains less carbon than cast iron, making it softer and more ductile. It is also highly resistant to fatigue; if large amounts of pressure are applied, it will undergo a large amount of deformation before failing.

The term [wrought iron" is often misused today; it is commonly used to describe designs similar to historical wrought iron pieces-regardless of the metal used. Mild steel that has been machine-bent into shape in a cold state or cast steel and iron pieces that have been painted black are both regularly mislabelled as wrought iron work. To be truly designated as wrought iron, however, a metal piece must be forged by a blacksmith who heats it and hammers it into shape.

Wrought iron was used as early as 2000 BC in the Anatolian peninsula (now Turkey), and it was widely used in construction throughout the 19th century. Advancements in metallurgy in the 20th century, however, have made it easier and less expensive to machine-form and weld metal parts. The comparatively expensive and time-consuming nature of blacksmithing led to the end of its large scale commercial practice in the mid-1970s. This means that most true wrought-iron pieces today are either antiques or specialty pieces that have been smithed by local artisans.