Puddling is the process of converting pig iron to bar (wrought) iron in a coal fired reverberatory furnace. It was developed in England during the 1780s. The molten pig iron was stirred in a reverberatory furnace, in an oxidizing environment to burn the carbon, resulting in wrought iron. [1] .

Cort’s ‘Puddling Process’, which built upon earlier work by the ironmaster Peter Onions transformed engineering and enabled new forms of bridges and other structures to be made. Cast iron is made in a blast furnace, from which molten iron is cast in moulds.

Throughout most of the 19th century, the process of choice in the west for producing wrought iron and steel was “puddling” of cast iron. A major development of the process, “wet puddling”, became wide-spread commercially beginning in 1830.

puddling process, Method of converting pig iron into wrought iron by subjecting it to heat and frequent stirring in a furnace in the presence of oxidizing substances (see oxidation-reduction). Invented by Henry Cort in 1784 (superseding the finery process), it was the first method that allowed wrought iron to be produced on a large scale.

Puddling is a metallurgical process which was used during the Industrial Revolution as a means of making iron and steel. It is used by subjecting pig iron or any other impure metal to intense heat and frequent stirring inside a furnace, and in the presence of oxidizing substances.