IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF IRON AND STEEL" which Invention has
been communicated to me from abroad by La Société Anonyme "Le Ferro-Nickel"
of Paris in the Republic of France to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a process for improving the quality of iron and steel
by means of metallic manganese or oxides of manganese and aluminium with
the addition of ferro cyanide or cyanide of potassium alone or carbon alone or
ferro, cyanide or cyanide of potassium and carbon together according to circum-
stances and with or without the addition of a variable quantity of nickel as
hereinafter explained. The nickel when employed may be used either in the form
of metallic nickel previously rendered malleable by means of manganese, ferro
cyanide of potassium and aluminium or in the form of oxide of nickel reduced and
likewise rendered malleable by the same agents or in the form of nickel or oxide
of nickel reduced and rendered malleable directly when alloyed and combined
either with iron or with steel or again in the form of cast nickel or a malt of
nickel (fused or reduced ore) rendered malleable either before hand or in the course
of the subsequent fusion.
By means of this process the quality of iron and steel is improved by imparting
to these metals a greater degree of tenacity, homogeneousness and if required also
rendering them less liable to oxidation by the action of nickel.
By rendering the nickel malleable and mixing it with iron as hereinafter
described the metal is rendered comparatively inoxidable and capable of receiving
a high polish.
In carrying out this process in practice without using nickel the object being to
improve the quality of the iron or steel more especially as regards strength and

page_text: tenacity the ingredients are combined in about the following proportions for
example that is to say :-
Soft iron
Manganese
Ferrocyanide of potassium
Aluminium
-
100 parts by weight.
1
33
0.5
"
0.05
"
The manganese and ferro cyanide of potassium are first mixed together and the
mixture divided into two approximately equal parts. The iron is heated in a
crucible or other suitable apparatus and when the charge begins to sink one part
of the aforesaid mixture is introduced. The other part is introduced at the
moment when the complete liquefaction of the metal takes place. The crucible
or other apparatus containing the materials should be covered and at each
introduction of the ingredients the pressure of the blast is increased in order to
accelerate the reduction. The reduction and reaction having taken place the
materials are stirred and the aluminium is introduced after which the materials
are again stirred in order to effect an intimate mixture. The cover is then
replaced on the crucible or other apparatus which is then reheated in order to
restore the heat lost in the operation of stirring and after a few minutes the metal
is poured out. In certain cases carbon is substituted for the ferro cyanide of
potassium or is added to the other materials according to circumstances.
When nickel is employed in order to obtain a product capable of resisting
oxidation in proportion to the percentage of nickel which it contains the pressure
of the agents manganese, aluminium and. ferro cyanide of potassium renders it
unnecessary to render the nickel malleable before using it and the following
proportions are employed for example that is to say :-
Saft inan

page_text: The nickel being deoxidised behaves as a soft tenacious and ductile metal and
its combination is effected with the iron which is itself in a soft tenacious ductile
and homogeneous condition.
The manganese, the ferro cyanide or the carbon when the latter is introduced in
the place of the ferro cyanide or is added to the ferro cyanide with the object of
obtaining still greater tenacity and lastly the aluminium prevents a change in the
molecular condition of the iron that is to say: the latter does not lose its original
fibrous condition and pass into a crystalline state in consequence of its fusion with
the nickel. The per centage of nickel must be regulated according to the degree
of inoxidability required in the product ultimately obtained.
In case steel is employed in place of the soft iron greater tenacity is obtained
and the facility afforded for introducing a determined quantity of nickel enables a
corresponding power of resisting oxidation to be imparted to the metal.
In case it is desired to improve the quality of the metal with regard to strength
and tenacity only and with the employment of nickel the per centage of manganese
is diminished by one half in the majority of cases the per centage of ferro cyanide
being made equal to half the weight of the manganese introduced the percentage
of aluminium being also reduced by about one half.
The presence of manganese and aluminium ferro cyanide or cyanide of potassium
and carbon according to circumstances is advantageous in alloying iron and steel
with nickel because these agents render the nickel malleable and at the same time
act beneficially upon the iron and steel.
The chemical effect of the manganese and ferro cyanide of potassium during
fusion produces a continuous expulsion of the oxide interposed between the
molecules as fast as the said oxide is formed. This is equivalent to a continuous
molecular scouring which promotes the conversion of the alloy with the object of
forming a species of combination.
All the proportions or formulas hereinbefore indicated are merely given by way
of example it being evident that the invention is not limited to the particular
proportions specified.
According to this Invention compounds of elements or agents producing mutual
effects of affinity one upon the other are formed the agents employed acting in
concert to produce the equilibrium of the whole without injuring the said
compounds by the action of any of the constituent elements.
By means of this Invention the quality of the iron or steel treated as herein-
before described is greatly improved as regards hardness strength ductility and
tenacity and when nickel is used a nickel steel is obtained presenting a special and
peculiar texture and not liable to oxidise.
"

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture or Treatment of Iron and
Steel.
I JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by La Société Anonyme Le Ferro-Nickel of Paris
in the Republic of France, and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement: →
This Invention relates to the manufacture or treatment of iron and steel and it
consists in the employment of various operations and combinations bereinafter
described whereby products of superior quality are enabled to be obtained-The
quality of iron and steel is improved according to this Invention by the employ-
ment of certain agents hereinafter specified which impart to these metals a greater
degree of tenacity homogeneousness and if required also render them less liable to
oxidation The process consists essentially in the employment simultaneously and
as hereinafter described of metallic. manganese or the oxides thereof and aluminium
with the addition of ferro cyanide or cyanide of potassium alone or of carbon alone
or of ferro cyanide or cyanide of potassium and carbon together according to
circumstances and either with or without the addition of a variable quantity
of nickel previously rendered. malleable or rendered malleable directly during the
fusion in the actual course of formation of the alloy either with the iron or with
.the steel.
The nickel when employed may be used either in the form of metallic nickel
previously rendered malleable by means of manganese ferro cyanide of potassium
and aluminium or in the form of oxide of nickel reduced and likewise rendered
malleable by the same agents or in the form of nickel or oxide of nickel reduced
and rendered malleable directly when alloyed and combined either with iron or
with steel or again in the form of cast nickel or a matt of nickel (fused or
reduced ore) rendered malleable either beforehand or in the course of the subsequent
fusion.
By rendering the nickel malleable. and mixing it with iron as hereinafter
described the metal is rendered comparatively inoxidable and capable of receiving
a high polish.
In carrying out this process in practice without using nickel the object being to
improve the quality of the iron or steel more especially as regards strength and
tenacity the ingredients. are combined in about the following proportions for
example that is to say

page_text: The metal obtained by means of this combination is particularly strong and
tenacious and in this respect presents the principal characteristics of soft or mild
steel.
The manganese and ferrocyanide of potassium are first mixed together and the
mixture divided into two approximately equal parts-The iron is heated in a
crucible or other suitable apparatus and when the charge begins to sink one part
of the aforesaid mixture is introduced The other part is introduced at the
moment when the complete liquefaction of the metal takes place―The crucible or
other apparatus containing the material should be covered and at each introduction
of the ingredients the pressure of the blast is increased in order to accelerate the
reduction The reduction and reaction having taken place the furnace and the
crucible are uncovered the materials are stirred and the aluminium is introduced
after which the materials are again stirred in order to effect an intimate mixture-
The cover is then replaced on the crucible or other apparatus which is then
reheated in order to restore the heat lost in the operation of stirring and after a
few minutes the metal is poured out. In certain cases carbon is substituted for
the ferro cyanide of potassium or is added to the other materials according to
circumstances.
.
When nickel is employed in order to obtain a product capable of resisting
oxidation in proportion to the percentage of nickel which it contains the presence
of the agents manganese aluminium and ferro cyanide of potassium renders it
unnecessary to render the nickel malleable before using it and the following
proportions are employed for example that is to say.
Aluminium
0.05
".
33
101-05
With reference to these three combinations it should be observed that by the use
of ferro cyanide of potassium degrees of tenacity and strength are obtained which
could not be imparted by the use of carbon alone.
When carbon is employed and the ferro cyanide of potassium is omitted the
following proportions are employed namely.
With reference to these three combinations it should be observed that by the use
of ferro cyanide of potassium degrees of tenacity and strength are obtained which
could not be imparted by the use of carbon alone.
When carbon is employed and the ferro cyanide of potassium is omitted the
following proportions are employed namely.

page_text: When carbon is used in conjunction with the ferro cyanide of potassium the
following proportions are employed namely.
Soft iron-
about 95
narts by weight

page_text: The improved process is evidently not limited to the use of crucibles in order to
obtain a uniform quality as any other suitable melting apparatus such as converters
Siemens or Martins furnaces or the like may be employed.
The introduction of non malleable nickel into the alloys, that is to say, nickel
in the condition in which it is produced by the refiners and in which it has always
been employed in the manufacture of white metal, this being the only branch of
industry in which it has heretofore been utilised, has been the cause of the diffi-
culties which have heretofore presented themselves in producing alloys containing
a considerable quantity of nickel.
In fact the alloy so obtained is necessarily less malleable than the most malleable
of its constituents The nickel so introduced necessarily takes a part of their
malleability from each of the inalleable constituents of the alloy For this reason
when it is a question of improving the quality of iron and steel for example the
nickel is now previously rendered malleable unless it can be directly rendered
malleable in the course of the fusion.
The presence of manganese and aluminium ferro cyanide or cyanide of potassium
and carbon is advantageous in alloying iron and steel with nickel because these
agents render the nickel malleable and at the same time act beneficially upon the
iron and steel.
It is well understood that manganese improves the quality of iron and steel in
the ordinary processes of manufacture and in the present case it would appear that
a change is caused to take place in the condition of the nickel that is to say its
relative malleability is produced by the reaction of the manganese and oxygen and
the carbon which is sometimes present in large proportions in oxide of manganese
does not prejudice the result.
Alloys poor in iron and rich in nickel do not acquire the characteristics of
steel in accordance with the tempering whereas alloys rich in iron and poor in
nickel can be tempered in a similar manner to steel provided that proper care is
taken to regulate the temperature to which the metal is reheated for the final
immersion.
With regard to the mode of action of the ferro cyanide of potassium this sub-
stance does not act as a reducing flux for the simple reason that there is nothing
to reduce at the time when it is introduced It acts on the contrary as a converting
agent and cyanide of potassium is merely employed by way of precaution because
the ferro cyanide in a closed vessel becomes converted into cyanide of potassium
and protocyanide of iron the latter changing into cyanogen and iron and the
cyanogen into nitrogen and carbon and the iron into carburet of iron On the
other hand ferrocyanide of potassium in reacting upon the peroxide of manganese
forms a cyanate of potash which in turn reacts upon the oxide of iron in order to
produce hydrocyanic acid which decomposes the oxide of iron forming cyanide of
iron and of potassium and hydrocyanic acid in addition.
After the introduction of the manganese mixed with ferro cyanide of potassium
nitrogen gas is generated as well as ammoniacal emanations arising from a com-
bination with a small quantity of free oxygen The result of the fusion is a metallic
combination possessing remarkable tenacity and when a small quantity of carbon
is added to the manganese and the ferro cyanide the alloy of iron and nickel or the

page_text: iron alone acquire extreme hardness without ceasing to be ductile and malleable.
Manganese employed alone would not suffice to produce these exceptional results as
regards strength as the molecular condition which it tends to produce is granular
rather than fibrous This phenomenon is evident on examination of the texture of
nickel treated with this agent alone The manganese mixed with ferro cyanide of
potassium on the contrary produces in chemical order an effect analogous to that
produced in physical order by the alternate application of the power hammer and
the rolls in treating iron for the purpose of expelling the vitreous matter from iron
drawing together and welding the parts and imparting homogeneity. The chemical
effect of the manganese and ferro cyanide of potassium during fusion produces a
continuous expulsion of the oxide interposed between the molecules as fast as the
Baid oxide is formed This is equivalent to a continuous molecular scouring which
promotes the conversion of the alloy forming a species of combination In order
to show the active part taken by the ferro cyanide of potassium the fact well known
to practical metallurgists may be mentioned that the cementation of iron takes
place under the influence of potash by means of ferro cyanide and it will be'
remembered that cyanide is also a powerful scouring agent.
Aluminium which owing to its high price is employed as sparingly as possible is
enabled to give maximum effects and enables products of incomparable homogeneity
to be obtained.
It should be observed that all the proportions or combinations indicated are
merely given by way of example it being evident that the Invention is not limited
to the particular proportions specified.
According to this Invention compounds of elements or agents producing mutual
effects of offinity one upon the other are formed the agents employed acting in
concert to produce the equilibrium of the whole without injuring the said compounds
by the action of any of the constituent elements and the direct effect produced by
each element corresponds with a reflex action resulting from their simultaneous
presence.
By means of this Invention the quality of the iron or steel treated as hereinbefore
described is greatly improved as regards hardness strength ductility and tenacity
and when nickel is used a nickel steel is obtained presenting a special and peculiar
texture being naturally tempered and not liable to oxidise.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
A process for improving the quality of iron and steel by means of metallic
manganese or oxides of manganese and aluminium with the addition of ferro
cyanide or cyanide of potassium alone or carbon alone or ferro cyanide or cyanide
of potassium and carbon together according to circumstances and also with or
without the addition of a variable quantity of nickel substantially as hereinbefore
described.