Coke and iron

Iron smelting required high temperatures previously only attainable by burning coal. But coal was becoming increasingly expensive as English forests continued to recede. Coke turns out to be even more effective for smelting iron and could be done at higher temperatures and larger scale.
 Abraham Darby England 1709 Coke and iron

Iron smelting required high temperatures previously only attainable by burning coal. But coal was becoming increasingly expensive as English forests continued to recede. Coke turns out to be even more effective for smelting iron and could be done at higher temperatures and larger scale.