IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST IRON."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nicolas Cordier, of Boulevard Saint Denis, No. 1, at Paris,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST IRON."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nicolas Cordier at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th October 1878.
NICOLAS CORDIER, of Boulevard Saint Denis, No. 1, at Paris.
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST IRON."
$6
IMPROVE-
My Invention has for object a means of transforming Bessemer metal, or any
other metal coming from hearth furnaces, into a special cast iron similar to that of
L'Orme" or any other superior mark, which is generally employed for the manu-
facture of malleable cast iron.
"
By my process herein-after described I obtain a moulded cast iron, superfine by its
quality, and which may be classed between a superior cast iron which serves to
produce malleable cast iron and the ordinary grey pig iron. The cast iron thus
obtained can also give an excellent steel by puddling.
"
I operate in an ordinary cupola, but by preference in a Voisin" cupola.
I first carburate some coke or charcoal by means of any hydrocarbon, either of
schist or of petroleum, and I then place this coke or this carburetted charcoal in
the cupola with the metal to be transformed, and the hydrogen coming from the
decomposition of the absorbed hydrocarbon is disengaged, thus permitting to obtain
with the insulated atmospheric air,―
1st. A higher temperature.
2nd. A great economy of time.
The hydrogen disengaged from the decomposition of the hydrocarbon absorbed
by the coke or the charcoal also carries off the sulphur by forming sulphuretted
hydrogen, as well as other metalloids still contained in the metal to be transformed.
The cast iron that I obtain in this way is of a great tenacity, and entirely free
from metalloids, which is not obtained by the means employed up to the present.
The cast iron can be employed in the manufacture of malleable cast iron, but it
is especially valuable for the manufacture of good grained iron and of puddling
steel.

page_text: For the manufacture of fine steel I take Bessemer old rails, which I pickle or dip
in a bath composed of about 4 quarts of water, 2½ lbs. of hydrochloric acid, and
1 lb. 2 oz. of sea salt. When these rails have been thus dipped and pickled in this
solution I cut them up into small pieces, and I mix 112 lbs. of my cast iron with
112 lbs. of old pickled rails. This mixture is then smelted in crucibles or melting
pots, and when the smelting is complete I run it into ingot moulds. The ingots are
then annealed and hammered.
When I wish to obtain a softer steel I vary the proportion of my mixture by
employing 2 parts of pickled Bessemer scraps and 1 part of my cast iron. In this
way by graduating the carbon furnished by my cast iron the whole series of fine
steel is obtained.
If I wish to obtain steel for railway rails, instead of smelting in crucibles I take
the same proportions and I smelt on the hearth.
Another manufacture of steel which has not been able to be realized until now is
the puddling steel obtained without smelting, and refined as berein-after described,
which can compete with cast steel.
I operate either in a puddling furnace or in a gas puddler.
Instead of taking the ordinary cast iron and adding bi-oxide of manganese and
chloride of sodium to obtain the ordinary puddling steel, I take my cast iron, which
contains all the elements of steel, and I puddle without adding anything, and I
,obtain at will a puddling steel or an iron resembling steel, according to the degree of
decarburation.
When this puddling steel is obtained I shingle the ball or lump by means of the
steam hammer, and I roll it, leaving one or two millimetres on each face, so as to
pare it with the hammer after its refining and the transformation into fine steel
without smelting.
When this steel is rolled I pickle it in the bath above described, and I place it
before hammering in a furnace for this purpose, where it is heated to a temperature
of 500° or 600° cent., and over it I pass a mixture of gas oxide of carbon, proto-
carburetted hydrogen, and ammoniacal gas. Under the influence of this mixture of
gas the puddling steel is refined to such a point that after slight hammering it can
compete with the best cast steel.
I also operate in a Bessemer converter in the following manner :---When the
Bessemer operation is terminated I smelt one part of my cast iron with 10 parts by
weight of Bessemer metal, and I pour them into the same converter, and with a
single action of the blowing machine mix the two metals, and I then run it into
ingots, and I obtain a true steel either by rolling or by hammering.
This special cast iron, decarburating itself with facility in presence of the
metallic oxides, is applicable to malleable cast iron, and can advantageously replace
the cast iron of "L'Ormo" and others which are employed for this manufacture.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Nicolas Cordier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th March
1879.
NICOLAS CORDIER, of Boulevard Saint Denis, No. 1, at Paris.
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST IRON."
"IMPROVEMENTS
My Invention has for object a means of converting Bessemer metal, or any other
metal coming from sole furnaces, into a special cast iron similar to the cast iron of

page_text: L'Orme or other superior brand, which is generally, and with reason, employed for
the manufacture of malleable cast iron.
By my process, which I am about to describe, I obtain a cast iron, superfine by its
qualities, and which can be classed between superior cast iron which serves to
produce malleable cast iron and the ordinary grey pig iron. The cast iron thus
obtained can also give an excellent steel by puddling.
I operate in an ordinary cupola furnace, but by preference in a Voisin cupola
furnace.
I first carburate some coke or some charcoal by means of any hydrocarbon,
whether from schist, petroleum, or the like. I place this coke or this carburetted
charcoal in a cupola furnace with the metal to be converted. It produces an
evolution of hydrogen resulting from the decomposition of the absorbed hydro-
carburet, thus permitting to obtain, with the blown-in atmospheric air, a higher
temperature and a great saving of time.
The hydrogen which is evolved by the decomposition of the hydro-carburet
absorbed by the coke or the charcoal carries off the sulphur by forming sulphuretted
hydrogen, as well as the other metalloids still contained in the metal to be
converted.
The cast iron I obtain in this way is of great tenacity and completely free from
metalloids, which is not obtained by the means hitherto employed.
This cast iron can be employed in the manufacture of malleable cast iron, but it
is especially valuable for the manufacture of good grained iron and puddling steel,
especially if one considers attentively all the difficulties in the manufacture of
Bessemer metal, which can only be made with cast iron free from metalloids.
I have stated above that my cast iron could give an excellent steel; I am now
going to specify the several manipulations that I can make this special cast iron
undergo so as to convert it into a true steel.
In pursuing my researches for the manufacture of steels by a mixture of different
proportions of this special cast iron with old Bessemer rails, and old wheel tires or
hoops, which I fuse in the crucible and on the hearth (sole), and by a single fusion,
without addition of any other metal I have obtained the whole series of fine steels
capable of serving either for mechanics' tools, burins, edge-cutting tools, cutlery, and
the like, or for other manufactures.
For the manufacture of fine steel I operate in the following manner :-I take old
Bessemer rails, and I pickle them in a bath composed of about 4 litres (1 gallon) of
water, 1 kilogramme (about 21½ lbs.) of hydrochloric acid, and 500 grammes (about
1/4 lbs.) of sea salt. When the old rails have been thus pickled in this solution I'
cut them up in small pieces, and I mix them by halves, either 100 kilogrammes
(about 225 lbs.) of my special cast iron and 100 kilogrammes of pickled old rails,
as above stated. This mixture is fused in crucibles, and when the fusion is complete
I run it in ingot moulds. The ingots are then annealed and hammered.
When I wish to obtain mild steels the proportion of my above-named mixture
varies;
I then employ, for example, two parts of pickled Bessemer scraps and one
part of my special cast iron. In this way, by graduating the carbon furnished by-
the special cast iron, I obtain the whole series of steels of commerce, that is to say,
all the fine steels.
If I wish to obtain steels for armour plates or railway rails, instead of fusing in
the crucibles, I take the same proportions and I melt them on the hearth (sole).
It will be seen that by this entirely new manufacture I replace, on the one hand
the Swedish iron, so costly, and on the other hand cementation, by obtaining steels
above rank, which were formerly very costly.
Another manufacture of steel which has not hitherto been realized is the steel for
puddling, obtained without fusion, and refined as about to be described, and which
can compete with cast steel.
I operate cither in an ordinary puddling furnace or in a gas puddler.
Instead of taking ordinary cast steel and adding binoxide of manganese and
chloride of sodium to obtain ordinary puddling steel, I take my special cast iron,

page_text: which contains all the elements of steel, I puddle without adding anything, and I
obtain a puddling steel or a steely iron at will, according to the degree of
decarburation.
The puddling steel once obtained, I shingle the lump by the steam hammer, and
I roll it, leaving 1 or 2 millimeters (0,039 in. or 0,078 in.) on each face, so as to be
able to dress it under the hammer after its refining, and the conversion into fine
steel without the aid of fusion.
When this steel is rolled I pickle it in the bath above described, and I submit it
before the hammering to any furnace whatever arranged for the purpose, and raised
to between 500° and 600° cent. of heat, and over which I pass a mixture of carbonic
oxide gas, proto-carbonate of hydrogen, and ammoniacal gas. Under the influence
of this mixture of gas the puddling steel is refined to such an extent that after a
slight hammering it can compete with the first cast steels.
In seeing with what facility I obtain these steels of first quality by a mixture of
my special cast iron and pickled Bessemer scraps, it has also occurred to me to
operate in a Bessemer converter in the following manner:-When the Bessemer
operation is terminated I fuse 10 per cent. of the weight of Bessemer of my special
cast iron, which I throw into the same converter, and with a single action of the
blowing machine to mix the two metals, I run it in ingots, and I obtain either by
the rolling mill or by hammering, a true steel.
It is true that I give the preference to the materials I have described; however,
if I fuse with this special cast iron, grained iron, or Swedish iron, I should also
make steel, but it would not have the superior quality, whilst it would cost more.
This special cast iron, freeing itself from carbon with facility in presence of
metallic oxides, is applicable to malleable cast iron, and can advantageously
replace the cast iron of the L'Orme brand, and others which are used for this
manufacture.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. The manufacture, herein described, of my special cast iron, and its applications
with Bessemer scraps, fused and pickled.
Second. The fusion of the said mixtures on the hearth (sole) in order to obtain
armour plates or bars, or railway rails, and a true steel having all the yield in
carbon, as herein described.
Third. The mixture of this same special cast iron in the Bessemer converter
added when melted with the Bessemer metal to be converted into true steel upon
coming out of the converter, as herein described.
Fourth. The manufacture, as herein described, with my special cast iron, of a
refined puddling steel having all the properties of the best cast steel.
'
In witness whereof, I, the said Nicolas Cordier, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
Witness,
ALBERT CAHEN,
Civil Engineer,
of Boulevard St. Denis, 1,
at Paris.
NICOLAS CORDIER.
(L.S.)