China has mastered ductile iron technology early in the Warring States Period?
中国人在战国时期就已掌握球墨铸铁技术？
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Archaeologists have discovered a decarburization kiln dating back to the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) in the Houduanwan cast-iron relics site in Xinzheng city, said local authority on May 27, 2022. The site was an official workshop for casting tools and weapons for the State of Han. Experts have also detected spherical graphite in the unearthed ironware, which was found to be processed by decarburization of cast iron and other procedures. This discovery shows that China mastered ductile iron technology early in the Warring States Period, and pushes forward the history of ductile iron in China at least 200 years. It is generally believed that modern ductile iron technology was developed by British scientists in 1947. The discovery of the Houduanwan site proves that Chinese iron casting technology had entered a golden age during the Warring States Period as craftsmen had mastered the process.
2022年5月27日，河南省文物考古研究院发布消息称，郑韩故城后端湾铸铁遗址考古工作取得新进展，考古学家首次在战国时期铸铁遗址中发现脱碳窑。后端湾铸铁遗址是战国中晚期韩国都城一处铸造工具和兵器的官营手工业作坊。研究发现，后端湾遗址所出铁器均经过了铸铁脱碳、退火柔化和铸后锻打等不同程度的加工处理，且在铁器中检测到球状石墨。这一发现说明中国在战国时期就已掌握球墨铸铁技术，将中国球墨铸铁史向前推进至少200年。之前，人们普遍认为现代球墨铸铁技术是1947年由英国科学家研制，后端湾铸铁遗址的发现，有力地证明了中国铁器铸造技术在战国时期已经进入黄金时代，铸铁工匠不仅熟练掌握球墨铸铁原理，还可以根据不同器物功能进行加工。