In 1855, a steel-making process was patented by Sir Henry Bessemer, a British inventor and metallurgist (British patent 2,321). His patent was for a method of making steel by blasting compressed air through molten iron to remove impurities and excess carbon. The “Bessemer Process,” made it possible to mass-produce steel inexpensively. In the course of his life, Bessemer earned more than 100 patents, knighthood, and great wealth.