Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-17

and is now one of the largest grocery
materials have been unable to stand this
pressure and in many instances have
been forced into bankruptcy. This con-
dition is not likely to change SO long as
we continue to undertake to market our
product in the shape of pig iron. 1t Is
manifest that the iron interests of the
south must go into one of two things.
They will have to go into the manufac-
ture of steel or they will have to go into
bankruptcy. You may say that we will
have the same distance from market to
contend with and practically the same
freight rates to pay on steel as on pig
iron. This Is true as regards very
much smaller percentage of the product,
but we must not lose sight of the fact
that as the product handled rises in the
scale of value the item of freight be-
comes Of much less Importance The fol-
lowing comparison showing the original
value of the product in Birmingham, the
freight rate to Chicago and the proper
ton which the freight rates bears to the
initial value OF the article shipped may
be of interest to you: I
Percent
age on)
= f. o. b. Frt. to initial
price. Chicago. price.
Grey forge. $50 1886 so
Bar iron or steel... 5000 .4.50 Is
sheet iron or STEEL. 5000 $40 1913
The process to be employed is a simple
one, and far less complicated than that
OF making pig iron. Many are the steps
involved In the mining and preparation
OF the coal, ores and limestone, the
coking of the coal and the final con-
version in the blast furnace; while in the
manufacture of steel only one step
further is necessary, that of removing
silicon, reducing phosphorus and carbon
ana regulating and providing manganese,
the sulphur being in no wise affected.
The work of eliminating and reducing
silicon, carbon and phosphorus is effect
ualy accomplished, as you know, by the
employment OF an oxidizer In conjunction
, with lime. Oxygen is the agency and
oxidation the operation whereby the i'm
puf1tles In the iron are removed on re-
duced by both the Bessemer and open
hearth processes; in the former case by
the oxygen In the air being blown
through the metal. while in the converter
and in the latter case the oxide of iron in
the ore put into open hearth with the
original metal charge, or by additions
after the charge has been melted down of
iron oxide into the bath. The basic open
s s.., as you are aware, goes one step
Iurther than does the Bessemer in that
the oxide of iron in the ore in the pres
ence OF lime attacks the phosphorus, con-
verts 1t into phosphoric acid, which is;
tnen taken up and held by the basic Stag
mus, depriving the iron of its most OBJ
!ectlonable and detrimental element. To
tnls feature of the process alone may be
attributed It's great commercial and
economic value, and in Ii may we find
assurance that grand possibilities are
held In store for our district and for the
south. to be realized and enjoyed once it
is introduced and developed on scale
commensurate with the importance ana
requirements of the case
An erroneous impress on exists In the
minds OF many people as to the necessity
OF a large percentage of scrap iron to the
successful working of the basic open
hearth process. 1t Is fact that basic
steel of any quality desired might be
mace from the Alice basic pig and ore
without the addition of one pound of
scrap iron. This, however we are free to
admit would be practice of doubtful
economy, and fortunately the necessity
Tor adopting such a method known as the
pig and ore method) does not exist. The
mills OF plant of the extent and capacity
contemplated in the Birmingham district
would probably yield 10 or II per cent of
scrap, and undoubtedly that amount
couia De secured from other sources. The
many industries following in the pa tn OF
large steel works in the south would
repienish and materially increase the
scrap supply. We must not lose sight of
the fact that the question involved is
purely a commercial one. We can use
scrap IRON or not, just as our best interest
may demand from an economic stand
point II found desirable to use an
amount in excess, OF what the markets
tributary to the district would currentiv
afford, then its equivalent may be had
Dy SIMPLY passing molten pig iron through
oasn OF basic stag, the waste product Of
the basic open hearth furnace. thereby
eliminating the silicon and reducing the
carbon. The product of this operation
we call wash metal" and it's service in a
basic open hearth furnace Is such as
to warrant In my opinion, its use under
any circumstances. You will doubtless
be interested in the following report of a
heat of steel made recently by a concern
which is consuming monthly large GUAM
titles of Birmingham basic iron, and one
which occupies an important position
among the producers of basic open hearth
steel in this country:
81 per cent Alabama pig -. 40. 900
per cent crop ends from
blooming mill ..... 1890. 1000
Tieniatlte ore...-.... ...s..- 4,VW
Limestone .-.... .-.---...- 4,z0O0
Worked In after melting
Hematte ore .s.-e...s...... $500
Burnt lime ............ $50
Final addition sr
Ferro manganese ...... -. $50
total ...... ....- l. 44.250
Weight ofingots. 42.400 pounds. Wight
of scrap (runners), s15 pounds; weight
OF product 4s,Sl5 pounds; loss, Ia per
cent.
Time from starting to charge to tap
ping. eleven hours and fifty-fiye minutes.
Physical tests average of 3-plate tests)
Thickness Of test piece. -290; width OF
test piece. 1.o10: tensile sstreaisth, 81. $50
pounds peK square Inch: elastic limit.
S5,15O pounds per suuare Inch; rrfnction
of area, 81 per cent; elongation III 3 inches,