Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-11

own country.
As an expression of our thanks in more prac-
teal fashion, attempt in this paper to sketch
what we have done in Germany since that time
in the metallurgy of iron and steel, venturlng
to hope that some portion Of what bring may
prove useful to our American brethren.
Germany Including Luxembourg, which is
included in the Customs Union with the en-
pire), produced in 1915 and 1859:
Kilotons. Knotons.
Iron ore. ............... 4,7l2 1l.OOl
Coal and Ignite ................4sS SoO "a, S9Z
rig IRON n.'-''-'-'.'.''............. l. 90 j. 1oLo
IasIlnRs. $50 55u
sIalleable IRON iDgSt MsiS iron iran. sis "a S S5
use the words ingot iron (FlIss-eisen) and
weld iron (Schweiss-elsen) which are employed
by us in official documents and in the Custom
House, and the first of which practically COM
prises all that is called 'steel." 1t is not my
purpose to urge again the international har-
mony of nomenclature which was planned in
1876. but unfortunately, not completely
achieved. would only remark that we Ger
mans get along very comfortably with the
once.
The figures given above may serve to prove
that we have taken some pains to maintain our
position as the third nation in the competition
of the iron producing world.
Like the United States, and unlike England,
France and Belgium, Germany is fortunate in
possessing within its own borders the raw ma
terials for its iron industry. There is an I'M
portation of ores from SPAN. Sweden and
Hungary, it is true, but il is not strictly neces-
sary and, in fact is more than offset by the ex-
portation of German ores In other words, we
mine considerably more thar enough ore for
all the iron we make. Since 1876, indeed the
center of gravity of the German iron ore pro-
duction has moved. 1t now lies in Lorraine
and Luxemburg on the western edge of the
Empire, where 81 per cent of our ore product
is mined
MUST GET ORES FROM SPAIN.
We possess very few ores that are free from
phosphorus, and those which we have are so
manganifeTous that they cannot, generally
speaking, be used to make pig-iron for the acid
Bessemer process. On the other hand we have
an abundance of phosphorc ores. the greater
part being so rich in phosphorus as to be suit
able for the manufacture oil pig for the basic
Bessemer OF Thomas process. The remainder
is composed of ores of medium tenor in phos-
phorus. and suited only to the manufacture of
forge and foundry irons.
So far rs the acid Bessemer practice is still
maintained among us. it requires foreign ores;
and this need is supplied chiefly from Spain.
The proportion among the different classes of
ores in the product mined is about as follows:
Ores which can be used by themselves make
Ores suitable for forge and foundry irons. . ~ 2
Acid Bessemer'' ores. eS........-.............. 2.S
Manganiferous ores (used to make white pig
and 10. 4
1000
But if we add the foreign ores imported and
deduct the domestic ores exported, we have as
the proportional consumption of each class in
Germany:
Ores for forge and foundry irons ..:......:.. %
Ores for acid Bessemer pig................... l5.
Ores for spiegel, etc. II.
100.
But this statement does not correctly repre-
sent the actual use of the different classes; for
it frequently happens rhat commercial condi-
tions make it advisable to use. in the production
of one kind of pig, ores which would be, of
themselves, better adapted to some other kind.
(For instance, high and low PHOSPHORUS ores
are often mixed to produce a forge iron.)
AS to our fuels. the figures already given
show that we have an abundant supply for all
industrial purposes, including, of course. the
iron manufacture, for which, with rare excep-
tions, only bituminous coal and coke made
from it are employed. Moreover, our coal
fields will no: be exhausted in many centuries
Unfortunately, not all our coal basin furnish
the material for coke suitable for the blast
furnace. Strictly speaking, there is but one
baSin-the Westphalian or Ruhr coal basin
which satisfies this condition to the satisfaction
of the ironmaster. In other districts, as. for
instance that of the Saar, coke is indeed made
but of greatly inferior quality compared
with the Westphalian. In Upper Silesia, the
coke made with the greatest pains from domes-
tic Goals would seem, nevertheless to a
stranger an utterly impracticabe element in
the regular conduct of blast furnace This
difficulty has caused in Germany, perhaps
".
ing of all means of improvement and the
adoption of those which stood the test, in order
that the qualify of the coke made from poor
coal might be made scrviceable.
COKE PRODUCTION OF GERMANY.
DR.. Otto estimates the coke production of
Germany at 26,3I3 kilotons, of which l3. 4Ol
should be credited to the Ruhr basin, 4I6s to
Upper Slesia and 2092 to the basin of the
Saar.
The difficulty with German coking Goals is
usually to be found, not SO much in an excess
of ash as in the lack of "coking quality" even
when the ash is low So far the ash is con-
cerned. an adequate remedy has been found in
careful washing after sizing. Our coal wash
ing apparatus leaves little to be desired now
that the principle of a preliminary sizing has
been fully recognized.
There is a decided advantage of crushing
the coal before coking in the more intimate
contact of particles thus secured Experience
has shown that the smaller the quantity of
heavy hydrocarbons in the coal (these being
the well-known determinants of its cokinp-
quality the closer must the solid particles be
brought together in order to form a cohesive
coke. To this end many means have been pro-
posed and tried. The attempt has been made
without practical success, TO press the coal
together in the coke oven. Again, the coal has
been made into bricks, which, by reason of
their regular shape, could be packed tightly
together in the oven; but this practice also has
w.
been had to the method of stamping the coal in
a box. aud charging into the oven the whole of
the thick slab thus produced This procedure
has given satisfaction at German works, and is
now in somewhat extensive use.
One disadvantage we have in common with
the iron masters of the United States-the
necessity, namely as general rule of railway
transportation over considerable distances for
ores or coke, or both. But we lack the magnih-
cent water ways, like the great lakes of the
North; and the development Of internal canals,
as a remedy for this natural disadvantage, is
still delayed IN Germany
WELD IRON MUST BE PUDDLED.
To give instances of our transportation of
materials: most OF the iron ores smelted in
Westphalia (where as already observed, the
best coke is made), must be brought from the
Slegen district from the Lain aud from
Lorraine. On the other hand, notwithstanding
the abundance of iron ore in Lorraine, the iron
master there must import not only Westphalian
coke, but also (by reason of the sulphury char
acter of the native ores) manganiferous ores
from the Lain as an admixture And in all
this transportation there is no water route ex-
cept short piece of the Rhine.
Weld iron Wrought iron) is produced in
Germany by pudding exclusively, and almost
invariably by that variety OF the pudding
process Guftfrischen) which depends upon the
air for oxidation. The other variety (Erz-
in which oxidation is effected by
means of q fettling ore, and which is SO COM
mon In America, finds among us very subor-
dinate application only.
The manufacture of ingot iron in the open
hearth furnace is generally conducted in Ger
many by the Martin process. according to which
pig iron is decarbonized by Inaleable scrap
the crop ends and reflections of the
mills own production. Ore OF hammer scale is
employed only in small measure. usually as
auxiliary to complete the decarbonization;;
used at all finds application only in isolated