Peter Northover: Ships, trains, copper and iron – Metallurgy in the industrial heritage

The application of metallurgy in archaeology and the cultural
heritage has a long history going back to the 18th century. In
contrast, application of metallurgy in the study of the industrial
heritage has been recent and hesitant. Peter Northover from Oxford
University presents results from microanalysis, metallography and
mechanical testing and shows how engineers dealt with the variable
qualities of the materials they used, and how the slow development
of new technology such making steel in bulk might have hindered
industrial development.