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] .

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.

The puddling furnace revolutionized ironmaking by offering several significant advantages over traditional methods: Production of Wrought Iron: The puddling furnace enabled the efficient production of wrought iron, a material with superior strength and ductility compared to cast iron.

Puddling was the first successful process for making malleable iron from pig iron without using charcoal. Unlike in the Finery the iron was not in direct contact with the fuel of a puddling furnace, only with the hot gases from it. This helped reduce the amount of impurities in the finished iron.