New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-04

\ METHOD TO PREVENT CORROsION AND
TO KEEP OFF BARNACLEs.
COPPER Is DEPOSITED DIRECTLY OF THE IRON
HUII.s Ply ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS &C
TON Is THUS GUARDED AGAINST
THE SAVINGS EFFECTED.

THE SAVINGS EFFECTED
Tho novel process OF electroplatine with copper
the iron hull OF large ocean-so.ng tug is being
c,rried ont in a Jersey city drydock When the
waiting is finished tn inventor VIII be prepared
:, sbow that the vessels bottom is perfectly pro-
tected from barnacles and covered with homo
geneous coating Of copper, which Is prac''c""' '"-
dos,ruc,ible The attention Of the Government has
been called TO the invention and II is beng Closely
watched nv the agents Of foreign countries
This invention II is hoped, will so.Ne the great
nrohlern which confronts al the builders OF iron
shps-how to protect me hull from barnacies anu
corrosion The hull Of wooden snip can easily
be protected by slmpy mailing on sheets OF COPPER
but this method cannot BE Used In the case Oh q"
iron vessel II the sheets Of copper are boIied
directly to the iron. galvanic action Is set up p'
the salt water and the iron Plates are rapidly ea',"
away In the British Navy a thick wooden plank
ing * first bolted to the iron hull ana then inc
sheets OF copper nailed to the "oo-' rs
method is erectual so far as protection i''N "'
clos &c concerned but it s enormously eNp'hs.Nt
and adds considerably to the weight OF the Nosse"
The hulls of American warships are not copper
ebeathsd at all being merely coated with copper
naint which soon becomes useless Inc snip re
ouires drydocHing and cleaning twice ear ~
keen the bottom in anything Ike conAi'lo" ID
ali, q hiy vvarship and clean the hall costs ABOUT
$500 besides the risk OF siraining the 'eSS' anu
the time wasted while she is in drydocN
y
Tho value OF copper sheathing whicA can he
applied TO the iron in such a way as to ne'o'l'
re,fe,tlv HOMOGENEOUS with the metal am heN-'
r,,,,re renewing is mus evident. Where there =
such close contact the wate" cannot se'
the iron and copper and consequently ID Sa'''"ie
action sets in while the vessel never ie'i"''' .7
~, If the water inasmuch as the copper SKIN Is
almost ndestructibie NO pdrna'ieS '"''
TO the bottom. IT,,
rhe nrocess OF electropiating the hull o. snip
consists in depositne layer OF copper upon t"7
iron by means Of baths or tanks filed WIN d SOU"
ton Of copper ana subjected 10 me acuo" o' d"
electric battery These baths which are about three
feet square and SIX inches in depth are -Al' ""'
o,trs- tho side Of the vessel They are shaped ="
a. 70 fit the curvature Of the side OF the Nessel am
rendered thoroughly watertight by DeHs J'-'''"1D
IN against the iron hull and then packer VIZ"
oakun round the edges. Three sets OF Oa'nS az
need in the process and the entire operation 'ahe9
about two weeks, thouSh III " la 10
would be longer. ,
The first bath is one OF sulphuric acia' which
cleans the iron plates thoroughly and prepares 'he
sor the deposit of copper. About t"elNe houi9 80
sufficient for the cleansing process "he" me % IL
are removed cleaned and replaced on the nun
rr,ev are then filed with solution OF cyah'e Oh
o,ror which by means OF pipes and pump j.
tsnt in constant circulation through the "a'"'
r-re nositlye pole of powerful battery Is 'he"
connected with two copper Plates placed !" ea''
III
chin Thin LAYER of copper Is soon deposited on the
rl,tes covered by the bath, which Is c@ieu the
,l,,nc coat and serves foothod for the cop
nor deposited by the succeeding ba'h' Ai'e' IN
,,anide has been removed from the baths soiu-
ion of sulphate Of copper is mIrod1,ea Wiz; ~ -
non u ~ v,av as the cyanide solution me aC
~ 81, - he electric current winch passes through
me baths subtracts the meta iloln ne ,riff,,
- in the bath and deposits IL upon tne strIAihs
Ila Pc. obfained by the cyanide bath Nhen aoout
.1 nd ]
DaIh3 "a b,rnisned l. T. then in almost perfect
unison win the rGn p pbse a HEAVY blows With
manner do not produce any impression upo" d. ''''
il is practically part OF uhe nun
PLATES MIGHT BE COATED IN ADNANCf.
win b,e ships much larger baths would be EN-
,o,,ed and the inventor declares thar the process
is much cheaper than the present co~4 pan o.
e, ,,,,e-ine the iron with plank sheatnins Ine
Won mates could even be coated before the snip
was buut and the joints gone over WIN te oat"S
e,er the new vessel was constructed ana before
a. .as off the ways. On account Of the great
,rense involved in the present plan Of frst plank
inc and then copper sheathing an iron hull. ie"
- have their bottoms protected with copper
Am the british warships so treated. and so are
- Of IN. fastest liners Besides the danger OF
,~-osion to an unprotected hull me heavy Hc!u'-
a,io,s Of barnacles constitute an impeachment which
seriously affects the vessels speed The sharp edges
Of the barnaces catch hold OF everything hoa,i.,5
~ H. water which comes ~ contact with them
ne
- borton was covered VITA stAweed ana ceDI4s
nangbt up by the shells u the moiusNs- sUch an
sNc,,bl,s Under water masses Of seaWeed, 4aii
~ irngth trailing along makes big difference III
~ smolnt OF coal required 10 prOuuce given
ned This fact. when taken into cons .deiai.ot'
- forr1iIab;e addition 10 the already large enough
bin for drydocking, so that me eHpense o. Soii"g
10 a vessels bottom l. soon made up III d4ydocA
and coal bills I'm 5000. .,., ,.,,,,
inner should eraze rock and grind OF any OF tne
49, The simple remedy OF applying a Daih 10
49, injured plates would BE- all that would De nece--
-, ~ renal the damage No gavan!c acton OF any
.or,souencc can 20 while the snip is making
Tor drvdock a. IL requires months Tor the sea
Ter 10 make tangip.c impression upon ~"
80 The tug which eleciroIldtei LAST winter,
~ 6rsf time the experiment was tried, had one or
NC MA imperfectly coated owing 70 ;ht freezing
&c ne solution. and though she was IN the Wa.er
oter six months there WAS no appreciate damage
dons hy reason OF the galVanic action set up ms
same lug il the now being electropiated, Dat
~ nrocess Is being carried out more thOrouSh','
,brea sixteenths OF inch OF copper being oepoS-
tsd instead of one-thrty second OF an inch. a. was
the case IN the FIRST instance. ,,..
The process H. an interesting one and the ship :
side represents all stages Of the operation trs the
r,,s,v iron then the clean iron, the dul red coat
nc ~ copper and lastly the FURNISHED copper, which
Zines IKE gold When the process Is finished there
il moi a seam or Joint In the copper from stem 10
s,eru each bath being moWd so as just TO over
IAN the coating deposited by the next one ms Is
IN nrevent any corrOsiOn or galvanic acton ~
reason OF the water. which would gradually
eaf into the iron wherever there was a JOINT