Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-11-11
EVENING STAR.
Important Discovery in the N anufscture Of
Steal


semer having once fairly aroused the attention
Of all interested in iron manufacture, il seems
that the appearance of one new invention
after another is likely to prevent the trade
fairly settling down for some time into the old
routine. We allude to the discovery of Cap
tain Uchatius (engineer in.chef of the Impe-
rial Arsenal, Vienna,) of a method of pro
ducing every description of cast steel from
crude pig iron in a space Of two or three hours.
For the satisfaction of q number of scientific
gentlemen desirous of Witnessing a trial of the
process, by the courtesy of Messrs Rennie and
Sons, an exhibition Of the new method of man
ufacture was made on Saturday at the Albion
Engine Works. Holland Street, Blackfriars
Road, London, in the presence Of numerous
spectators.
Mr.. Charles Lenz, the partner Of Captain
Uchatius, operated on the occasion. He pro-
ceeded to state that the method adopted In
England, and all over the world be might say,
fol- making best descriptions of cast steel here
tOfure, was to convert Swedish or Russian bar
iron by a lengthy. uncertain, and costly pro
cess, first into what is called blister steel,
which product is then melted down in cruci-
bles and cast into ingots for the manufacture
of the bar steel Of commerce. The invention
about to be exhibited by him would render
this country quite independent Of sweden and
Russia for steel irons, he would show the
company present that East India pig iron.
converted into fine steel in as few hours as
Swedish and Russian bar iron would take
weeks to manipulate; in addition TO which he
could assure those present that Numerous de-
scriptions of ordinary English pig iron would
answer this process equally we'll, if he might
judge from the limited experiments in English
iron he had performed.
Indeed, the results of these experiments
were very remarkable, and he expected that
nearly every iron work would soon make steel
as regularly as they now make iron. Mr..
Lenz then proceeded to explain that the In
ventiOn of Captain Uchatius was founded upon
tbs well known fact that cast iron enwrappei
or surrounded by any oxygenised materials,
and subjected to a cementing heat for given
time, will yield up portion OF its carbon,
which will combine with the oxygen driven
off from the surrounding materials, and form
carbOnic oxide or carbOnic acid gas If this
process is interrupted before completion, a
partially decarboniseG iron will result, the
.urfsce Of which will have been converted
into a pure iron, while the interior parts re-
main UNCHANGED; or, in other words, the pro-
gress of the decarbonizing action vii! depend
on tue amount OF metallic surface brought
into contact with the xygen-yieldipg mate
rial with which the iron is surrounded.
In order, therefore, to expedite this opcr a.
;ion, the pig iron is first reduced to 4 Granu
lated state, done by simply running the mol
ton iron from the cupola IA blast furnace In
some cases. into cold water, agitated by me-
cbanical means. This granulatsd iron is
mixed with proper proportion Of pulveriZed
oxygen yielding materials of very cheap
description, such as sparry iron ore, and add
ing, If requisite, small quantity of manga
nese, which mixture is put into common cruel
bles AID subjected to heat in a cast steel
blast furnace of an ordinary construction
By thus subjecting the granules Of iron in
presence Of the sparIy iron ore to a melting
heat, the enwrapping Oxiaaz will first effect
partial Decentralization Of tho granulsted iron,
which Decentralization will be liElit~t in
amount according To the size oT the graruies
operated upon, and by reason Of the contn-
ued application Of heat the iron will melt and
separate with the assistance of the melting
| residues OF sparry iron Orc) from the impuri-
I ties with which il was mixed, and also bring
Il down with il portion OF the iron contained
4 in the sparry iron ore, thereby increasing the
yield OF ca : steel by about y per cent.
The .nanipui2tions Of melting and casting
are the came as cos.mOnly employed by cast
steel manufactures. 2hs quality of the steel
| is capable of being by this process consider
ably modified Thus the Gnsz Lte pig iron -
granulatei, the softer will be TIE t,ssl made
| therefrOm The softer sorts of welding EAST
| steel may BE- obtained by the addition OF goo1
wrought iron in small pieces, and the harder
qualities by adding charcoal in various pro-
Thus, continued Mr.. LEM, may crude iron be
converted into steel ingots in the incredibly
| shsrt space of about two hours. He then pro-
ceeded to exhibit the preliminary process of
granuIating by running crucibe of melted
I pig iron into Z sessel Of water, when II WaR
Instantly converted into small shot like par
4 ticles
A weight of "a ID. Of the granulatei iron
! was now mixed with the crushed ore and FILL
fs.l into the crucibie in the temporary furnace,
GEl was allowed to MELT in tie usual IL *Dner,
| Wills, the company proceeded 10 witness the
apsrat. on of the hammering down iEtC bar
! OF an ingOt Ot this new steel, which Was hA-s
! u few days ago in the presence of several en-
Dent scientific men. and although the steam
| hammer now used was described as not At all
adapted for steel, bat apt to impair the quaii-
! ty nevertheless, the bar steel produced from
the ingot now hammered was pronounced 70
! be of excellent quality. aad tools made by
Messrs. Rennie from fellow ingot were tried
\ and found to possess all tho qualities Of fnc
English cas-. steel. The crucible vas neyt
! T.. ken from tho furnace. two hours and :hree
"a arters having elapsed since the filing
| Eu.ns defect in the furnace little retardins
the nlelting-and the contents poured into the
! irok mould, which was opened, and the ing )t
or steal. weighing % ID being | 10 more
\ than tns iron used, was exhibited to the CON-
! pany arx pronounced TO bear every external
| evidence * being perfect in quality.
| 1t was 10 he fOa yarded to the steel works Of
| NJ essrs Spencer ans Sons, of Newcastle-On.
| Tyne, to be properly ..lted into bar steel fol
further te,.s as to its qCL.;ty and properties
During the proceedings much appreciation
was expressed by all present CT tie simplicity
md rapidity Of the new process, as yell rs c
I the quality Of the specimens of s.ee! shown
/ and hopes were expressed, more especisiiy D,
| the railway engineers there, that 50 valuable
discovery would be i'm ediately mdie avail
! 4able-ils Importance in reducing the cost 0
steel being unquestiOnable, as applied to th'
I .innumerable new uses it would inevitably b'
turned to in preference TO iron-the expens'
for steel tyres, axles. piston rods, shafts an
other important working parts of machlnerI
being estimated, as not exceeding the pric'
now paid for frstclass iron, whilst in dura
bility and strength there is no comparison -
London Morning Post.