Wrought iron was the premier material for construction and strength for buildings, ships, and other applications from the late 1700s until the early 1900s when it was mostly replaced by steel. Wrought iron was a mass-produced metal, which was used when durability and resistance to corrosion was needed. The properties that make up this metal though are much more interesting than most people are aware of.
Composition
Wrought iron is a very particular kind of iron. The general definition is that it is commercially pure iron, which contains 1 to 4 percent slag, or iron silicate, by weight. This measurement of content was particularly important, as it's part of what gave wrought iron its strength.
Oxidation
Wrought iron, since it is as close to pure iron as can be worked with commercially, is nearly immune to rust. This is mostly due to the purity of the metal, as it is much harder for iron by itself to rust than it is for an alloy or iron and something else to oxidize.
Flexibility
Wrought iron is a very ductile form of iron to work with as well. This means that while wrought iron is strong and resilient, it's also easy to work it into a new shape, even one as thin as a wire or cable. Whether wrought iron was being forged by hand, or rolled out in a mill, this property is what made it such a popular material for crafting.
Grain
Wrought iron is a fibrous metal, which gives it a grain similar to that found in wood. This fibrous nature of the metal is created by the inclusion of slag in the wrought iron. This unique grain is usually only seen when wrought iron is bent, or broken.
Welding
The property that made wrought iron highly desirable for construction, both of buildings and of ships, was that it can be easily welded. This allowed large sections of wrought iron to be brought together and welded into place, whether they were for the hull of a battleship, or for a fanciful railing, the property remained the same.
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