The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-08
P|G|RON TO. De MADE
BY ELECTRIC PROCESS
Feasibility Of the Method Shown
by Experiments Made
go "''t.". as,'>*@-, in Canada. - - y !.
Snecial 70 The Journal,

Special TO The Journal. 49, .~>-.
SAUL Ste. Marie, Ont, April The
experiments conducted here by the
Dominion government having demon-
strated the feasibility Of commercially
engaging: in the manufacture Of pig
iron by the electric process, it remains
only for capital to- establish the hide
pendence Of the industry in Canada.
It has been proved that vast deposits of
ore, hitherto considered valueless, be-
cause of their high sulphur content,
can be proftably utilized by the use Of
the water power so abundant in Ontario
and Quebec, and what this means is Of
salient Importance to the nation. In
the fiscal year Of 10000, Canada i'm
ported pig iron alone to the value Of
$40, 900, 00O;a the zimportation., of other
raw material and the purchase Of fin
ished products abroad increased. the
amount by many millions, yet with i'm
mense resources within her own confines
the country was provided with all the
basic essentials necessary toGput her in
the front rank in steel manufacture. Z
The distribution Of the raw materials
in Canada is peculiar and unfortunate
in the respect that the deposits of ore
and cooking coal are so widely IsaI separated
one commodity to the other unproft-
able. Hence, impressed with The dis
ability under which the nation rested,
it became the task of DR.. Eugene
Haanel, Dominion perintendent of
mines, to find some other method of
smelling iron ore,' or some other source
of energy than the combustion Of car
bon in blast furnaces. ses@, The electric
process had been prof bly, employed in
Europe, especially in France, and it
was turned to as the solution. These
points were to be settled: Could mag
netic. Canada s chief ore, and which to
some extent is conductor Of electric-
ity, be successfully smelted9 Could
ore high in sulphur be, made into pig
iron of neutrality-suspicious. Could
charcoal be substituted for: coke, which
must be imported? And lastly,
what was the exact amount Of
iron producedg
To investigate properly these prob
lens, a sum was set aside by the gov
| by DR.. Heroult of, La, Praz, France.
The Lake Superior Power company of
Sault. Ste. Marie offered building in
which to erect the plant and also the
necessary electrical power, free of ex-
pense for four months. The PROPOSE
tion was accepted, and the experimental:
tion began in earnest the middle of
I Z 0UTudfy. Liz U0ulOuSUrdClOu Was
successful, 50 much SO, in fact, that
after $50 casts had been made, yielding
about ffty-ive tons Of pig iron, it was
considered unnecessary to make further
tests and experiments were closed after
only portion Of the appropriation ha6
been expended. The ores first EN-
ployed were hematites, and for the re
mainder of the experiments magnetics
from the different sources of supply
all with one exception high in sulphur
y content. - If ~ :: =,
"a The tests showed that magnetic ore'
i'could be smelted with as much facility
as hematites, and also that the use o;
/ charcoal gave the. best Of satisfaction
It was determined that the very bes
Of pig iron could be made from ore.
containing as high as per cent o,
sulphur when in blast furnace practic,
l ores running as low as one-tenth Of
per cent sulphur are avoided.
Under the prevailing conditions il
Canada. it now only remains for, Thu