Technologies
Each entry explains a technology, the problems it solves and its connections.
Filters: -3000 – 499Clear
Pozzolanic binder technology
Hydraulic applications combining lime and volcanic ash existed by at least the 1st century BCE · matureIndustry · MaterialsUses reactions between reactive siliceous and aluminous materials and calcium-bearing systems to form binding products; both ancient natural volcanic ash and some modern activated clays can participate in this mechanism.
Charcoal production
Known in antiquity; became a metallurgical fuel before and around modern industrialization · matureEnergy · Industry · MaterialsHeating wood with no oxygen or limited oxygen to obtain a solid fuel with a higher fixed-carbon content and better suitability for high-temperature combustion.
Cement
Hydraulic binders existed in ancient Rome; modern industrial cement developed in the 18th–19th centuries · matureIndustry · MaterialsA binder that reacts with water to form hardened products, joining particles or components into a whole; Portland cement is one type.
Concrete
Mature applications existed in ancient Rome; modern cement concrete developed widely in the 19th century · matureIndustry · MaterialsA composite material made by mixing and shaping a binder, fine and coarse aggregates, and water, then allowing it to harden for use in structures.
Lime mortar
Used in antiquity; the sources in this review confirm established lime-binding practices in ancient Rome · matureIndustry · MaterialsA workable masonry or repair material made from lime, sand, and water; traditional air-hardening formulations harden mainly through carbonation.
Metal smelting
Early metal smelting appeared from around 5000 BCE; large-scale furnace workshops emerged in the Bronze Age · matureEnergy · Industry · MaterialsExtracts metals from ores using controlled high temperatures and a reducing environment, then produces usable materials through melting, casting, or forging.