The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-26
A STEEL CATECHISM.
Question. What is steel?

question. WHAT is sUcelI
Answer A metal composed of from 81
per cent TO 80 &C Per cen of iron, and from
pei cent to O.G4 per cent Of carbon is
properly called steel. Many other sub
stances, however, are commonly found
in steel Among these are sulphur, phos-
phOrus, silicon, copper and manganese
These ingredients give various properties
to the metal, according TO the amounts
present. There are also several alloys
OF steel with other metals, but these are
generally designated by hyphenated titles,
Sucn as ''chrome-steel," 'niCkel- steel,
etc.
.. How is steel made?
A In many ways, if We consider details
The principal methods are three. The
resulting products are known as Crucible
steel, BeSsen.er steel and open hearth steel
q What is crucible steel?
A CTucible steelis obtained as the result
OF fusing together in a crGcibe the sub
stances desired in an Y quality of steel.
Q. What is BesSemeT steel?
A Bessemcr steel is made by forcing
a blast of air through melted iron. By this
process the substances not desired in the
steel are burned up As some ingredients
which are needed are also consumed. these
the liquid metal is permitted to cool.
Q. What is open hearth steel?
A. Chemically the open hearth methods
substantially the same as the BesSemcr
process. But in making open hearth steel
the forced blast is done away with, and
the me tai while melting and after complete
liguefaction is kept exposed To the air in
such a way that the impurities are oXi-
died or slowly burned out of the iron
y.-t,x
before solidincation.
Q. Which is the best of these three kinds
of steel?
A There is no answer to this question
as it is phraSed. That steel is best whose
strength, ductility, hardness, tOGghneSs,
etc, are best adapted and proportioned
for the use for which it is intended These
qualities depend upon the composition OF
the steel and upon it's treatment" i. e.,
whether it has been forged, rolled, drawn,
tempered, annealed, etc.
1t is wholly immaterial whether the mix
ing OF the iron, carbon, manganese and the
rest is done in a crucible, a Bessetner con-
verter or an open hearth furnace, so long
as the Sa me materials are compounded with
equal skill ,andthe SteelStreat after manu-
facture with the same care and Judgment
O. But is it not generally conceded that
crucible steel is the best steel2
A. By no means. There certainly was
time " hen the manufactures by thecruclble
method was more skillful and more success
full than others. This process is the oldest,
it's advocates attained excellence While
others were Observation-Disclosures before
the later methods were devised.
1t is not to he wondered at that the ira
ditions of that time are still cuTfCntin many
shops and are expressed in many books
which discuss the properties of steel. The
OFT IA obi 70 CT N a
to the production of small quantities OF
special grades of steel. But, as matter OF
fact, while every method of manufacture
has it's partisans, the superiority OF crucible
steel can no lon ger he demonstrated This
is conceded by prominent authorities and Is
the necessary conclusion of those who are
familiar with the most recent Investigations
and tests
0. Has any one Of these three processes
an advantage over the others?
A TIE maker Of steel Will decide that
question for himself; having due regard TO
his surroundings and to the scope of his
undertaking The user Of steel will ask
what the steel is made Of, not what il is
made in. He will aim to secure the prop
critics which suit his work, without re-
gard to the methods of manufacturing
the metal.
In general, IL man uses much steel,
he Will be likely to purchase where lie can
get large quantities all alike. Crucible
sterl made in lots not exceeding one hun
dred pounds each, would hardly answer.
a careful purchaser of steel analyses and
tests samples from each consignment which
is received. To do this for one sample in
every hundredwcight would call for an
intolerable number of analyses, to say
nothing OF the uneven quality OF the steel