Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Ferro-zinc Alloys with or without other Metals.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 19th Jan., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Ferro-zinc Alloys with
or without other Metals.
We, MAURICE MARC MARCUS, of 149 Rue des Vallées, Brunoy, Chemist,
GASTON. BUFFIER, of 149 Rue des Vallées, Brunoy, Landlord, EUGENE
MARCELLOT, of 13 Rue de Montyon, Paris, Administrator of Mining Companies,
and GERARD DARDESPINNE, of 7 Rue de Montyon, Paris, Landlord, all in the
Republic of France, 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 :-
Our invention relates to the manufacture of ferro-zinc alloys with or without
other metals.
Of all the metals copper lends itself best to alloys, despite its great oxidability.
It enters into most of the alloys, such as brass, yellow bronze, German silver and
white metals.
Iron, which possesses such valuable qualities, has on the other hand appeared to
resist the formation of any homogeneous alloy presenting special properties. It
was only when the employment of nickel became extensive that ferro-nickel was
produced; but this single alloy of iron and nickel is costly and possesses neither
the malleability nor the ductility desired for most of the uses.
Now our said invention has for its primary object to manufacture a new alloy of
iron and zinc which we term "ferro-zinc."
By the process which we will proceed to describe we achieve an actual chemical
combination, and the ferro-zinc thus produced constitutes a new and useful metal.
Ferro-zinc may in. its turn be combined with other metals, such as copper, nickel
and the like in order to form fresh alloys which we designate by the generic term
of "bronzium" and the manufacture of which constitutes the second part of our
invention.
In the manufacture of ferro-zinc we use the iron in the state of chips, shavings,
borings or the like, that is to say small pieces which, when collected in a heap,
leave intermediate spaces that provide large surfaces of contact with the zinc when
this metal is added to the heap.
The iron is first cleansed in a cold alkaline bath wherein it remains for about
twenty-four hours so that the mass may be in the basic state.
This bath is preferably composed as follows:
We dissolve in 100 parts of water
10 parts of anhydrous ammonium carbonate,
4 parts of caustic soda of commerce at 65 to 70 degrees, and
3 parts of caustic potash at 80 degrees.
On being removed from the bath and drained the iron is mixed with sawdust or
any other carbonaceous material in the form of small pieces.
We place the mixture of iron and carbonaceous material in a reverberatory
furnace, crucible or other suitable apparatus, and heat it to a white heat. We then
introduce zinc in the solid state into the furnace, crucible or other apparatus
employed. In case we use a reverberatory furnace, which is indeed preferable, care
must be taken to exclude all access of air to the furnace directly after the
introduction of the zinc. The temperature is maintained and the operation
continued until the zinc has been completely fused. Despite the great difference

page_text: between the melting points of iron and zinc, these two metals become alloyed an
combine to form a homogeneous product having special useful properties.
The quantities of iron and zinc to be placed together should be equal; but the
two metals, owing to the phenomena taking place during the fusion, seem to combine
in different proportions.
The ferro-zinc thus obtained can be alloyed with other metals in various
proportions, to produce fresh alloys which we generally call "bronzium."
For example fifty per cent. of copper and fifty per cent. of ferro-zinc give "yellow
bronzium" whose colour is more beautiful than brass. It is less oxidizable, more
ductile and malleable than brass and at the same time possesses greater
strength.
By replacing in this alloy a portion of the copper or of the ferro-zine by nickel
we obtain white metals of various shades. Thus "white bronzium" is obtained by
alloying 50 per cent. of ferro-zinc, 35 per cent. of copper and 15 per cent. of nickel.
Such white bronzium is more beautiful than the white metals heretofore known and
in comparison with the latter it has the advantage of being stronger.
As before stated we may also combine ferro-zinc with any metals which are
usually employed for alloys. The products thus obtained will be found superior to
the corresponding products known up to the present time.
Ferro-zinc may moreover be employed for other uses than the manufacture of
metals. It is particularly suitable for deoxidizing molten steel, and as a substitute
for zinc alone in the manufacture of terne plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. An alloy composed of equal or approximately equal parts of iron and zinc
united to form a homogeneous body.
Second. An alloy which we term "bronzium" composed of ferro-zinc and one
or more other metals, such as copper, nickel, or copper and nickel, substantially as
described.
Third. The process of manufacturing ferro-zinc, which consists in providing
small pieces of iron, cleansing the same in an alkaline bath, then mixing them, after
they have been drained, with sawdust or other carbonaceous material in the form
of small pieces, heating this mixture in a furnace, crucible or the like to a white
heat, and finally adding the zinc, substantially as described.
Tnd this 17th day of December 1894
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.