IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF REFINING AND PURIFYING CAST IRON FOR FOUNDRY PURPOSES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS
OF REFINING AND PURIFYING CAST IRON FOR FOUNDRY PURPOSES.”—A¸
communication from abroad by James Henderson, of the City and
State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 27th June 1871, and dated the 15th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th March 1871.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS
OF REFINING AND PURIFYING CAST IRON FOR FOUNDRY PURPOSES," to he as
follows:-
:-
The advantageous employment of oxides of iron and other metals.
combined with fluorspar or fluorides when applied to molten cast iron

page_text: has been already described in Letters Patent granted to my correspondent
and dated May 27th, A.D. 1870, and numbered 1544. The proportions
therein stated are applicable more especially to refining the classes of
pig iron containing large amounts of phosphorus and sulphur like
those of the Cleveland district, with this class of iron only about ¼th
to d of the phosphorus and sulphur are removed so that the oxygen
estimated for removing all the sulphur and phosphorus is in excess
of what is required for this purpose, and it serves to oxidize the metal
base of the fluorspar, which thus being oxidized liberates the fluorine
and these two gases remove the silicon, portions of the phosphorus and
sulphur, and the required amount of carbon.
The present Invention consists in using when treating better qualities
of cast iron containing small amounts of phosphorus and sulphur, larger
proportions of oxides than that stated in the Specification of the Patent
before mentioned. It is now proposed to use sufficient amounts of the
oxides in addition to those therein given to oxidize the metal base of
the fluorspar or fluoride used, and if desired also to oxidize portions of
the silicon.
In applying the Invention the oxides and fluorides are used in the
manner to be presently described, and the proportions of the oxides used
are so increased that enough oxygen will be evolved to oxidize the
metal base of the fluoride used, and in cases where the silicon in the
iron exceeds the weight of the other elements to be removed less
proportions, if desired, of the fluorides and more of the oxides may be
used.
The plan preferred is to reduce the fluorspar and other fluorides and
also the oxides to a finely divided state, and mix them thoroughly
together, and then change them evenly over the sole or hearth of any
suitable reverberatory furnace. After the combined fluorides and oxides
are thus placed in the furnace or crucible, cast or pig iron is charged
upon them, and when the iron is melted it flows over the fluorides and
oxides, and dissolves or melts them.
Experience shows that ½ to % of the silicon may be removed by
the oxygen derived from oxides mixed with fluorides, and the other
portions of the silicon be removed by the fluorine derived from the
fluoride. The proportions of oxides used to evolve oxygen to oxidize
the metal base of the fluoride, and when desired to oxidize silicon, arc
known to be 2 parts by weight of oxygen, to 5 parts by weight. of

page_text: calcium when fluorspar is used, and 13 parts of oxygen to 1 part of
silicon per oxide of iron gives off 30 per cent. of oxygen when in
contact with molten cast iron, the proportions of oxygen given off from
other oxides, and of fluorine from other fluorides, are well known, and
need not be repeated here.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF REFINING AND PURIFYING CAST IRON FOR
FOUNDRY PURPOSES," being a communication to me from abroad by James
Henderson, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the samo,

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement (that is to say) :—
The advantageous employment of oxides of iron and other metals
combined with fluorspar or fluorides when applied to molten cast iron
has been already described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted
to my correspondent and dated May Twenty-seventh in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, and numbered 1544.
66
<6
*
*
In that Specification the following remarks occur:-" In working my
process it will be attended with the best results when the average pro-
I portions of silicon, sulphur, and carbon present in the pig or smelted
" iron, which is produced at any particular works, are first ascertained,
" and when the per centage of silicon contained in the oxides to be used
"is known. The requisite quantity of combined fluorspar or fluorides
"and oxides can be easily estimated in any given case, sufficient
quantities being taken of the fluoride to remove the silicon and silica
as fluoride of silicon and of the oxides to properly act upon or oxydize
the sulphur and phosphorus and the requisite amount of carbon in
"the iron. Proper proportions of these agents will generally be about
forty parts of fluorspar or other fluorides to every fourteen parts of
" silicon, and every thirty parts of silica by weight in the oxides and
"the proportions of the oxides should be sufficient to oxydize the
sulphur and phosphorus and to oxydize and convert the requisite
"amount of carbon into carbonic oxide or carbonic acid. But suitable
quantities of the fluorides and oxides for use in any particular case
"will be easily determined by any practical chemist or metallurgist
" from the foregoing instructions, and the above example is only given
by way of illustration."
66
"
66
"
The proportions thus stated are suitable for refining those classes of
pig iron which contain large amounts of phosphorus and sulphur like
those of the Cleveland district, which according to published analyses
contain on an average about from 1.30 to 1.50 of phosphorus and
sulphur, and about 1.72 per cent. of silicon. With this class of iron
only about one-fourth to one-third of the phosphorus and sulphur are
removed, so that the proportion of oxygen given for removing the
sulphur and phosphorus is in excess of what is required, and the excess
therefore serves to oxydize the metal base of the fluorspar, which being
oxydized liberates the fluorine. Thus the two gases oxygen and fluorine

page_text: remove the silicon portions of the phosphorus and sulphur, and the
required amount of carbon, and produce a good result.
The present Invention may be considered as a supplement to the
Patented process above referred to, and consists in using when treating
the better qualities of cast iron or those containing small amounts of
phosphorus and sulphur larger proportions of oxides than stated in the
above quotation. Thus it is now proposed to use a sufficient amount of
oxide in addition to that therein given to oxydize the metal base of the
fluorspar or fluoride employed in the purification of the iron, and if
desired, also to oxydize portions of the silicon, so that the proportion of
fluorspar or fluoride used will be less and that of the oxide greater than
was stated in the Specification of the Patent of May One thousand eight
hundred and seventy.
In applying the improvement the oxides and fluorides are used
preferably in the same manner as described under the aforesaid Speci-
fication, and the quantity of oxide used is so increased as to ensure the
evolution therefrom of the proper atomic proportion of oxygen for
oxydizing the metal base of the fluoride employed as well as the
natural impurities intended to be removed. In cases where the silicon
in the iron exceeds the weight of the other elements to be removed
less proportions, if desired, of the fluorides and more of the oxides may
be used.
The plan of operation preferred is to reduce the fluorspar and other
fluorides and also the oxides to a finely divided state and (after mixing
them thoroughly together) to charge them evenly over the sole or
hearth of any suitable reverberatory furnace. When the combined
fluorides and oxides are thus placed in the furnace or crucible cast or
pig iron is charged upon them and when the iron is melted it flows over
the fluorides and oxides and dissolves or melts them.
Experience shews that from one-eighth to three-eighths of the silicon
may be removed by the oxygen derived from oxides mixed with fluorides
and the other portions of the silicon may be removed by the fluorine
derived from the fluoride.
The proportion of oxide used to evolve oxygen to oxydize the metal
base of the fluoride, and when desired to oxydize silicon is known to be
two parts by weight of oxygen to five parts by weight of calcium when
fluorspar is used, and one and a third parts of oxygen to one part of
silicon. Peroxide of iron gives off thirty per cent. of oxygen when in

page_text: contact with molten cast iron, the proportions of oxygen given off from.
other oxides and of fluorine from other fluorides are well known and
need not be repeated here.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements
in the Process of Refining and Purifying Cast Iron for Foundry
Purposes," as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to
be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I
claim, the treatment of crude cast iron for foundry purposes with
fluorspar or fluorides and oxides in the proportions substantially as
above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.