Hadfield, Robert Abbott (1858–1940)

English industrial chemist and metallurgist. He invented stainless steel and developed various other ferrous alloys. In making ordinary mild steel, pig iron is oxidized, to lower the carbon content. Hadfield carried out many experiments in which he added other metals to the steel. He found, for example, that a small amount of manganese gave a tough, wear-resistant steel suitable for such applications as railway track and grinding machinery. By adding nickel and chromium he produced corrosion-resistant stainless steels. Knighted 1908, baronet 1917.

Hadfield was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, joined his father's steel foundry, and by the age of 24 was its manager. His research into various steel alloys began in the 1880s.