The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-14

What is steel?
"A metal composed of from OF per cont
60 w 06 of iron and from per cont to .O4
OF carbon is properly called steel. Many
other substances, however, are commonly
found In steel Among these are sulphur.
phosphorus, silicon, copper and manga
neso These ingredients give various prop
critics to the metal, according to the
amounts present There are also several
alloys of steel with other metals, but thcss
arc generally designated by hyphenated til
ties, such as "chrome-steel," "nickcl-
steel" etc.
How is steol made?
In many ways If we consider details
The principal methods are three The re-
sulting products nro known rs cruciblo
steel, bosscmer steel and open hearth steel
Whit Is crucible steel?
Crucible steel is obtained as the result
OF fusing together in cruciblo tho sub
stances desired in any quality of steel
What is bcsscmcr steel?
Bcssemer steel is made by forcing blast
OF air through melted iron. BY this proc
esS the substances not desired in thu steel
are burned up. Assomo ingredients which
arc needed arc also consumed, these sub
stances Carbon, otc arc added before the
liquid metal is permitted to cool
What is open hearth steel?
Chemically tho open hearth method is
substantially the same as the bcssc,ncr
process, but in making open hearth steel
tho forced blast is done away with and tho
metal while melting and after completp
iqucfaction is kept exposed to tho air in
such IL way that the impurities are oxi-
died or slowly burned out of tho iron
Tho constituents other than iron arc added
before qualification.
Which is the best OF these three kinds of
steel?
horo is no answer to this question ns
it is phrascd. That steel is best whose
strength, ductilty, hardness, toughncss,
etc, arc best adapted and proportioncd for
the use for which it is intended These
qualities depend upon the composition of
tho steel and upon it's trcntment-i. O.,
whether 1t has been forged, rolled drawn,
tempered. anncalod, etc
1t Is wholly immatcrial whether the
mixing Of tho iron, carbon, manganese
ana the rest Is done in crucible n hes.
scner converter or an open hearth furnace
SO long us the Same materials urc com
pounded with equal skill and the stccls
treated after manufacture with tho same
care and Judgment.
But Is 1t not generally conceded that
cruciblc steel is the best steel?
by no means. There certainly was n
time when the manufacturer of the cruci-
bic method WAS moro skillful md moro
successful than others. This process is tho
Oldest, anu Its advocates attained excellence
while others wcro OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
before the later methods were devised 1t
is not to hc wondered ut that the traditions
OF that time are still current in many
shops and are expressed In many books
which discuss the properties of steel The
method is Still in use and is we'll adaDtpd
to the production of small quantities of
special grades of steel, but as II matter of
1act while every method of manufacture
has its partlsans. tho superiority ofcrucihlo
steel can no longer be demonstrated This
is conceded by prominent authorities and
is tho necessary conclusion of those who
are familiar with tho most recent inyosti.
CATIONS and tests
Has any ono Of these three processes az,
advantage over the others?
Tho maker of steel will decide that oucs-
ton for himself, having duo regard to
his surroundings and to tho scope of his
undertaking. The user of steel will asl,
what the steel is matlo Of not whit it is
made in. lie will aim To secure the prop
critics which suit his work without regard
to the methods of manufacturing the
metal. In general, if man uses much
steel no Will bo likely to purchase where
he can get largo quantities. all alike Cru
clblo steel, made in lots not exceeding 100
pounds each, would hardly answer. A
careful purchaser of steel analyzesnnd tests
samples from each consignment which is
received. To do this for ono sample i'm cy-
cry hundredweight would call for an jntol-
cradle number OF analyses, to say nothing
of tho uneven quality of the steel itself
when considered in large Quantities
What is cast steel?
All steel made by the processes which
we have discussed is really cast steel-thnt
Is, the metal becomes steel whio melted
ana Is then run in molds. The name cast
steel should no restricted to steel which is
cast in tho shape in which it is intended
to be used. The result is inferior for most
purposes to that obtained by forging and
similar methods. There is much conf,-
sion, however, i'll tho popular use of this
term.
What is tool steel?
Tho term has no scientific meaning.
Those who use it mean any steel suitnhlc
for making tools. 1t may 1c cruel bic steel
bcssemer steel, open hearth steel or steel
made by some less important method
tor no good reason the name tool steel is
often regarded with almost supcrstitioIS
awe. Tho agent of the stcelmaker calls a
substance tool steel, knowing little or
nothing of its composition and properties
The steel user buys it, tho workman
makes things of it, the consumer buys aud
uses tho things Sometimes tho steel is
adapted to Its hse and everybody is salts
led. Sometimes 1t Is not, and the con
sumner finds fnult and tile agent sells no
more steel to TINT manufacturer. Mean
time nobody concerned, exccpt the original
maker, has the least idea what the staff
chilled tool steel really is No man ufncturcr
knows what no is buying unless he hrs "A