<text><span class="style10">ron and Steel (1 of 5)</span><span class="style7">The Iron Age began in the Near East in the 2nd millennium BC, and we still live in it today. Iron and steel account for almost 95% of the total tonnage of all metal production. Ships and trains, cars and trucks, bridges and buildings - all these and thousands of things besides depend on the strength, flexibility and toughness of steel.</span></text>
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<text><span class="style10">lectric-arc furnaces</span><span class="style7"> take a charge consisting entirely of cold scrap - hot metal is not used. Because very precise control of the composition of the final product is possible, such furnaces are generally used to make the more expensive steels, including alloy and stainless steels. Modern arc furnaces produce up to 150 tons of steel in less than 1 1/2 hours.</span></text>
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<text>ΓÇó METALSΓÇó MINING, MINERALS AND METALSΓÇó THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION</text>