The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-07-13
stieuttit
Uses Of Blast Furnace Stag.

uses o. Blast Furnace Stag.
ProGessorEgleston saysthat Mr.. SepuIere,
a Belgian engineer, was one Of the first
who successfully transformed Che Stag into
a stone which could be generally used.
Tbs he effected by causing the Stag chan.
nels to terminate 10 an excavation whose
sides had AN inclination Of about 800, and
whose capacity varied from hnlf 10 ten
cubic meters. The very steep inclination
ofthe sides causes the section Of the pits to
increase very rapidly, and this allows the
solid crust, which forms on the surface OF
the hqniA Stag, to rise with 1t without be.
coming attached. The Stag must flow
continuously into the excavation, and iE
for any canse, there is an interruption, the
crust must be raised to allow OF the liquid
material flowing underneath. Ia this man
rer, the whole mass of Stag in the pit is
sure TO beall liquid. and will solidify above
and nnder pressure. After the excavation
is fhll, il is LEFT for TO 10 days to cool, the
only precaution required being to cover
Cue top with ashes VI sand 10 q sufficient
depth 10 prevent the mass from cooling too
rapidly. The stone so produced grows
hard on exposure 10 the air. When first
made, il can be easily broken into any
required shape, but after exposure for a
period more or less long, il becomes so
much harder as to require double the mum.
Der Of tools TO work il.
Allkinds OF slags are not suitable for this
Manufacture those which contain too much
lime iailto pieces on exposure. In general,
III may be said that they should contain from
aS to "A per cent of silica, and that the
furnace should be working well.
Mr.. Minary, Director Of the Franche
Comte Iron COMPANY, conceived the idea
ofusingthe slaHg by graduating them as they
iiowfrom the furnace. Todothis, thetrough
through which the slags run is made to ter.
inmate in stream Of water which has snifi
Client velocity 10 carry The grains ofslas into
apt prepared for il, from whichitis charged
into wagons, without +urtber expense, BY
an endless chain with buckets.
The grnHulated Stag was first used as
gravel in the works, aud 10 make the bed
Of the casting house. 1t was found that.
from such casting bed, 1ha pigs came out
clean and bright, and were preferred by
the puddlers even to those cast in iron
molds. This method Of using the Stag is
now Of Utmost universal application in the
Siegcn district, in Prussia, where most Of
the furnaces run on splegel.
As these uses CONSUMED but a very small
part Of the Stag, ii MAS offered as ballast to
the railroad companies ON condition that
they should remove il themselves. As the
size Of the grain can be easily regulated by
the velocity and direction Of the water, the
railroad companies were not slow to avail
themselves Of these conditions, aud soon
were glad to pay Tor i, thus furnishing to
The furnace company u revenue from WHIT
had previously Leun source Of expense
The graduated Stag weighs | 200 kilogram.
mes the cubic meier. lis cost in France.
whese il is used, is less than half the nriee
OF sand. Il is exceedingly porous, SO thai
it retains very little moisture, and vel uaeks
sufficiently the result is that ii viii bear
transporting for long distances, US il Is much
cheaper than ordinary gravel and better
adapted TO The purpose OF ballast.
The manufacture Of bricks from this ma
terial Immediately suggested itself. 1t IS
simply mixed with lime, pressed, aud sun
dried. n Is very extensively used on the
Rhine and IN lis vicinity. These bricks
give light cheerful air To the buildings.
aud malke warm and exceedingly conlfor
table house al q very small eon. II il re
Inarkable what can he done when the ne
cessity exists. / saw, at Rreuznach on the
Rhine and IN the Siegen district, bricks
made from ordinary coal ashes mixed with
lime and sun dried, which had stood du-
ring several years of exposure, with no sign
ct deterioration. Tie manufacturer assured
me that there were seven or eight large Is.
Establishments for the manufacture OF this
coal ash brick ia Germany.
By coaung the snrfiice Of the unburned
brick with graduated Stag and then burning
1t, ont Of The direct contact Of The coal, Il
was found 10 produce an enamel OF different
colors, varying with the composition Of the
stag. In making fire bricks. caleinet sand
Is replaced By granulated Stag. Ii is pro-
posed to use this material IN the mnuiac.
sure OF bricks for the pudding furnace.
Another application Of the granulated
Stag IS It's use for agricultural purposes.
The important part which carbonic acid
phys ~ rendering soluble the different
mineral substances which plants require for
their growth IS we'll known. The very line
stnte Of division to which il may be reduced
a. q very small cost is favorable to lis dc.
composition in the soil.
Blast furnace slags gelafinize in acids,
and they are, therefore, very suitable for
she manGiaetnre of cement. PclOuse and
Frenzy, ia the last edition Of Their work on
general chemistry, Gle them as being emf
pently iitfor this purpose. In certain parts
OF Germany IN artificial cement, equal in
every respect to the best Portland cement,
j. manufactured from them at a price SO
low as TO yield large profit, and YET very
much nnderselt tue Portland. Very large
works for the manufacture Of this artificial
cement are, during this year, 10 be con
ssr1eied
Considerable attention has been paid In
4 Belgium and Germany 10 ihe use Of the
slags for The manufacture Of chemical pro
duets. These were first salts Of alumina,
then snlls Of lime as an incidental product,
and lately The use OF tho silica extracted for
the manufacture OF soluble glass.
In certain conditions OF the furnace, the
siag is spun by the blast into line fbers.
and unkega substance Which Is sometimes
called ''iurnace WOOL This material Is a
very lad conductor Of heat, and it has re.
Gently been proposed 10 use il as packing,
% prevent loss Of heat about boilers, etc.
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