West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-05-06
A STEEL CATECHISM.
Q. What is steel ?

iron. and from 3 per cent. to O.O4
per cent. of carbon is properly call.
ed steel. Many other substances.
however, are commonly found in
steel. Among these arc sulphur.
phosphorus, silicon. copper and
manganese. These ingredients give
various properties To the metal ac-
cording to the amounts present.
There are also several alloys OF steel
with other metals. but these are
generally designated by hYphenatcd
titles. such as "chrome steel. "
"nIckel-steel, etc.
q. How is steel made?
A. In many ways, if we consider
details. The principal methods
are three. The resulting products
are known as cruclble steel, Besse-
mer steel, and open hearth steel.
q. What is crucible steel?
A. Crucible steel is obtained as
the result of fusiug together in u
crucIble the substances desired in
any quality OF steel.
y. What is Bessemer steel
A. Bessemer steel is made by
forcing blast of air through melt.
ed iron. BY this process the sub.
stances net desired in the steel are
burned up. AS some Ingredients
which are needed are also consumed.
these substances carbon, etc. } are
added before the liquid melted is
permitted to cool.
.. What is open hearth steel?
A. Chemically the open hearth
method is substantially the same as
the Bessemer process. But in
making open hearth steel the forced
blast is done away with and the
metal while molting and after com
plete hquefaction is kept exposed
to the air in such way that the
impurities are oxidized or slowly
burned cut Of the iron. The con.
stitueRts other than iron are added
before sslidification.
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, ductil-
ity, hardness, toughness, etc., are
best adapted and proportioncd for
the use for which it it intended.
These qualities depend upon the
composition Of the steel, aud upon
It's "treatment;" /. e., whether it
has been forged, rolled, drawn,
tempered, anaealed, etc.
1t is wholly immaterial whether
the mixing of the IRON, carbon,
manganese, and the rest, is done in
n crucible, n Bessemef converter, or
an open hearth furnace, so long as
the same materials are com pounded
with equal skill, and the steels
treated after manufacture with the
same care and Judgment.
q. But is it net generally con
cedsd that crucible steel is the best
steel I?
A. BY no means. There certain.
ly was a time when the masufac.
tSrer by the crucible method was
more skilful and more successful
than others. THIS process is the
oldest, its advocates attained oxcel.
lence while others we're experiment
ing-iHdecd, before the later
methods were devised.
10 is not to be wondered at that
the traditions OF that time are still
current in many shops and are ex-
pressed in many books which dis
cuss ,hc properties Of steel. The
method is still in use, and is we'll
adapted to the production OF small
quantities Of special grades Of steel.
But, as a matter Of fact, while every
method OF manufacture has lts par
tizsns, The superiority OF crucible
steel can no longer bs demonstrat.
ed. This is considered by promi.
vent ntauthoritles and is the necessary
conclusion Of those who arc famil-
liar with the most recent investiga-
tions and tests.
Q. Hns any ono OF these three
processes an advantage over the
others
A. The maker Of steel will decide
that question for himself, having
due regard to surroundings and to
the scope Of his undertaking. The
user Of steel will ask what the stcol