Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-19
Iron From the Ore by the Direct
Process Will Make It's Mark on
the History of Time, and
REVOLUTIONIzE TIE IRON TRADE.
Experiments in a Local Mill Are
Nearly Completed and a Day or
Two Will Witness Results
THAT MAY FULLY ESTABLISH TIE PLAN.
come Of tbs Essentials for an Economic Production
Of Iron

Experiments have been in progress fol-
some time past in the establishment Of Park
Brothers, which are of much interest in the
iron world. These are In connection with
the extraction of iron from the ore by the
direct process invented by Adams, and
under the patents held by Messrs. Blair oi
this city. The process is also under trial by
the Premier Steel Company, of Indianapo-
lis. Several tons OF steel made from blooms
reduced by the process have been turned
over at the latter's works. but neither there
nor here, as vet, have the experiments
sufficiently developed to permit of calcula-
tions as 10 the actual value of the method.
Mr.. T. S. Blair who is superintending the
reduction in Park Brothers sal yesterday.
that ne was not vet prepared to speak
authoritatively, or officially, as to the result
SO far as obtained, but hoped to do 80 In a
few days.
That iron could be sueeessfuily-from a
commercial point OF view-obtained direct
from the ore has been discredited and decried
bv metallurgists, and even in the light OF
results so far obtained from actual test,
there are not many who will even now con-
cede the process as at all practicable
SPEEDY RESULTS EXPECTED.
Reference has been made in former issue
of The DISPATCH to the operations of the
Carbon Iron Works in this direction, and it
was said at the time that further expert
ments and trials of the process would be
necessary, and never be made, before pub
lie attention would be invited to the results.
At neither works are the trials so far ad-
vanced as to make this publicity as yet
desirable, but by the end of the year it is
expected that the results from the direct
process will be such as to create something
like revolution in the iron trade. So, any
way, its adherents maintain.
The direct process, it is held, to become
commercially successful, must have certain
peculiarities The metallic iron in the ore
must be completely reduced from its sur
roundings to the condition of a metallic
sponge. The metallic iron in the ore must
not be wasted. For every unit of iron in
the ore there must be produced an unit of
metallic iron in the sponge. The process
must occupy the minimum of time. and
must be inexpensive in its charges. The
conditions OF heat in the furnace must be
such as to obviate any risk of the ore becom-
ing reoxidzed, or of the furnace bunging
up In relation to the first of these necessi-
ties, that of the metal in the ore being COM
pletely reduced from its surroundings re-
cent experiments in electrically concentrat-
ing metallic iron, made in this city and
proved to be successful, must have a most
important effect.
A TWO-FOLD ECONOMY.
The experiments alluded to showed very
clearly the possibility of obtaining pure
concentrates from the ore at very low cost.
When this system is placed in operation on
an extensive scale, as it will, in time, it will
result in two-fold economy; on the metallic
iron delivered at the furnaces from the
cheaper cost OF transportation and in the
saving effected bv the iron being already
freed IRON its foreign surroundings and so
being more easily reduced under the direct
process. Both trials being about brought to
a head at the same time will enable definite
data as to the real value Of the direct process
system being obtained.
One of the difficulties hitherto in the way
OF direct process being commercially sue
ceSsiul is stated to be an incomplete re-
ductlon of the ore without excessive waste
This applies as well to processes where the
gas has been passed through the body of
ore, and to the retort and open hearth proc
ess, either with or without canister. Such
an effect would result in making, not a
sponge, but mixture of sponge of half re-
duced ore, and ore in its natural state merely
heated. Another difficulty stated to exist
arises from the fact that where most direct
processes are continued for time suffi-
plpntlV lOnU n affaot a pono Loft duo ot;or ofl
the ore, the expense is so great as to render
1t OF no use commercially. So far as has
been shown from results up to the time when
the recent tests were made, the length of
time necessary for reducing the ore has been
so great, aud the WELD from each furnace so
small, that plant to produce fair amount
of material would require to be as extensive
as it would be expensive.
READY TO BE CONVINCED.
The construction OF the Adams process
furnace bears a resemblance to a small blast
furnace, with regenerative ehecker-work on |
the sides. The ore under treatment is thor
oughly and constantly under the influence |
OF the gas, the reduction being performed in |
a wonderfully short space of time, in |
thorough manner, at a low cost and with no |
loss OF iron. The sponge is used in con- |
nection with the open hearth process, prac- |
tically taking the place of so much iron or |
blooms. The process shows some important |
results in the elimination of phosphorous,
especially in low phosphorus ores and iron. |
The results in some cases have been even |
better than with the basic process.
The gentlemen in this city interested in |
the process have very nearly perfected their |
tests, and some very interesting facts in con-
nection with it may be expected very shortly. |
Metallurglsts, who, up to this, have doubted |
the practicabllity of the process, are no
longer so firm in their antagonisms. They
are inclined to believe there may be some |
thing in 1t. There is even reason TO believe |
that there is; and very large something,