New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-05-30
IN THE MANUFAC TURE
OF STEEL AND IRON.

Tn TIE TRIBUNE Of February %, we chronicIcd
a new method of making malleable iron castings, in
vented by A. X Eaton of this city, by which
an immense advantage is gained in the time en-
ployed in this process in the quality Of the articles
and in its application to larger objects than could he
decarbonized by the use in common practice OF oxyn
of iron as the decarbonizng agent The Improvements
consists in the Substitution of the oxyd OF volatile
metal "a zinc instead of that Of iron the volatile metal
going off Fin yapor 1t parts with its oxygen 10 tne
carbon of the iron and thus afordng room for fresh
portions of oxyd fall in and continue the process
The metallic vapor is at the same time received In
condensing vessel and is afterward cast into ngots'
Hardly had the success of this process been proved by
trials upon the scale of actual working operations than
the inventor devised similar method applicable to the
production of STEEL which, indeed may be produced in
the process described-steel being in fact but par
italy decarbonzed cast iron; and therefore, actually
resulting in one stage of the conversion of cast into
maeable iron BY means of trial, bars placed in the
furnace and taken ont from time to time, and tested as
the operation goes on, this may be arrested at the
point when the articles are in the condition Of steel
The process is not altogether satisfactory however, for
it is important in making good STEEL that foreign sub
bdllCtb, butu do PhVSphVi"o, eN'j "A~N ~
commonly present in cast IRONS should be removed.
and the oxyd of zinc has only limited action upon
these A more powerful agent of similar character
was required, and class was soon selected by Prof
Eaton for the purpose which, Access
sbe and applicable for the separation of the elements
commonly united with iron, it is remarkable, should
have escaped the notice of analytical chemists and met
aurgists The hydrates and carbonates Of the akaes
4. ....I l..x
Prof Eaton to decarbonizng action like that OF
oxide of zinc. Selecting carbonate of soda, COM
pound of carbonc acid and oxyd Of sodium, and caus-
ing this to fuse and cover bits of cast iron, the salt is
decomposed the oxyd of sodium giving up its oxygen
which untes with the carbon of the rOn forming car
bonc oxyd which escapes together with the carbonc
acid of the salt Metallic sodium is vaporized in meeting
the oxygen of the air, admitted in limited quantity into
the reiort for this purpose and reconvered into Soda
The liquid solution reaches every portion of the sur
face of the cast ron and the chemical action gradually
penetrates the whole mass. The affinity OF the sodium
for sulphur and PHOSPHORUS causes them to be seized
and withdrawn from the iron and they retained in
the alkaline, both in the condition of sulphuret and
phosphoret of sodium At the time silicon is also
separated through its affinity for oxygen with which
forms sicic acid and this unes with the soda form
ing sicate of soda. The experiments so far made are
highly encouraging that this will prove not only an ef-
cient method in practical operations upon large scale
of removing these elements injurious to iron, but
that in consequence of this property the vast bodies OF
sulphurous iron Ores which, though rich in metal,
have so far defed the skill of metallurgists to effect
with economy their reduction to good iron. may now
be rendered of practical Importance The experiments
have been made upon scale which might answer for
manufacturing operations-a product OF several hum
dIed pounds of steel having been obtained which has
been cast into ngots, hammered into bar and made
into variety of small articles. BY means Of trial,
bars of the same thickness with the cast metal en-
ployed the exact condition of the contents of the
tort or oven can be at any time ascertained, of
these is taken ont and tested Thus control is had over
the quality of steel perfectly than by any other
process in use while the manufacturer is also rendered
moro inderA-1o,+ I~E-y IS 49, ;.O.l LIZ ia
ploysH To insure uniformity of combination, ho-
mogeneous structure in the STEEL it is only necessary
to keep the bars at elevated temperature after
they are removed from further action of the soda.
The carbon thus becomes equally dnsed as ii 1t were
in solution TIE ingots of steel were some of them to
all appearance, Of high character that, before
being tried under the hammer, they supposed to
be altogether unmalleabe. To the surprise, however,
of the workmen these drawn out into bars with
out difficulty and the grain exhibited a fneness and
closeness of texture such rarely seen in worka
BILE steel number of the bars were placed in the
hands of Messrs. Nixon e. Son, cutters of this city, by
whom they have been made into blades of various
Sorts ravers for steel engraving and articles requlr-
ing the most valuable properties of steel They speak
unhesitangy of its superior quality and only express
dnuht-xvhch at onc N all acuuantpd with
the methods of making steel-whether uniformity of
product is certain This by the nature of the process,
as already explained must be under the complete con-
troll of the operator
The expense of the manufacture is comparatively
light. in the first place, the raw material employed Is
the cheap cast iron, which never before was consd-
cred applicable to this use. The process is rapid, and
no excessive heat is required like that for melting and
carbonizng malleabe iron, practced in one method
of making steel-a method which involves the use and
rapid consumption of highly expensive crucibles. A
red heat sufficient 10 fuse the soda is all that is neces-
sary Crude carbonate of soda, or soda ash,
suitable for this use, is a cheap product, espe-
cially considering that the same bath Of. it can
be used repeatedly and when becomes too impure
can be restored by inexpensive methods TO its foner
condition; though some more useful application for the
metallic sodium may render this inexpedient The ap..
paratus is castron retort of convenient form, made,
il NAV be- TO be set upright and to be charged at the
top or to lie horizontally like the retor;s of the gas
houses in which the charging door would be in
the front, Il sloping entrance leading down into the
UPPER portion of the retort. The articles TO be
vered into steel are placed one upon another in this
vessel and sufficient soda is introduced to flow
and cover them as it mes. II is not necessary that
the articles should be kept immersed in the liquid soda