Which risk notably increased during the Han Dynasty, following the use of coke in iron smelting instead of charcoal?

💡 Explanation

The greater sulfur content in coke, relative to charcoal, led to increased sulfur content in the smelted iron; this increases the risk of arsenic embrittlement because arsenic segregates to grain boundaries alongside sulfur, therefore the iron becomes more brittle at high temperatures, rather than gaining strength.

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