Year: 1888

page_text: 1, ORLANDO MORTON THOWLESS, of Newark, New Jersey, United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
:
The object of my invention is to simplify and cheapen the process of producing
alloys of manganese, and to obtain a more perfect result than heretofore in the
extraction of the manganese.
Heretofore manganese alloys have been made by first extracting metallic manganese
by fusing the black oxide with lamp-black and oil at a very high temperature,
whereby a button of metallic manganese is obtained, and then melting this button
with the requisite amount of copper or other metal to form the desired alloy. Another
and later method has been to fuse ferro-manganese with a large amount of wrought
iron scrap, such amount depending upon the amount of manganese contained in the
ferro-manganese used, and then to add the copper necessary to form the alloy.
The first of these methods has not been put into operation owing to its expense
and the difficulty of fusing the buttons of metallic manganese obtained. The second
process, while being an advance in the art, is more complicated and expensive than
my process in that a large amount of wrought iron scrap is first melted with the
manganese material, whilst, by my process, I obviate this and obtain a more perfect
result. It has also been suggested that ferro-manganese and copper or other metals
should be melted together direct, but the objection to this process is that the alloy,
if any were produced would be largely contaminated with the iron.
By my method or process 1 obtain alloys which are practically free from iron.
In carrying my invention into practice, I take the ferro-manganese of commerce
and mix with it silex (which I preferably use in the form of powder), cryolite and
copper, nickel, tin or other metal, according to the nature of the alloy desired, in
varying proportions.
The cryolite is used as a flux and may be replaced by any other suitable flux. The
ferro-manganese used in carrying out this process contains about G5 per cent. of
manganese. The silex used is ordinary white sand, as free as possible from iron.
It is not pure silica.

page_text: IV parts of copper or other desired metal.
These proportions produce an alloy which is very rich in manganese, but which is
capable of being remelted without much difficulty for the purpose of adding more
copper or other metal thereto if desired.
If it is desired to produce an alloy less rich in manganese by the one process, a
larger per-centage of copper or other metal than that above named may be used.
The mixture above described is placed in a crucible' or similar vessel and subjected
to heat in a furnace, and, when melted, the contents of the vessel are poured out, the
manganese alloy running into a mass separately from the other contents of the vessel,
which latter run off in the form of slag. The action which takes place during the
reduction would appear to be that the silex and flux combine with the larger part of
the iron, and the copper or other desired metal forms an alloy with the manganese,
thus causing the alloy to be set free and run off in a separate mass.
In making these alloys on a large scale, I do not confine myself to the use of
crucibles cr similar vessels, as the process can be successfully carried on, by my
method above described, in any furnace such as is used for the reduction of iron.
When the mixture has been melted as above described, the contents of the vessel
are poured out, and, in pouring out the contents, the alloy will first run off in a
liquid state, and then the other contents of the vessel being heavier will follow in the
form of slag.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
--:
The improved method or process of obtaining alloys of manganese, which consists
in mixing ferro-manganese with silex, a metal, and a flux, subjecting the mixture to
heat in a suitable receptacle, and separating the alloy by pouring it out of the said
receptacle in a liquid or molten state; substantially as described.
Dated this 25th day of September 1888
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.