Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 13th Mar., 1889-Accepted, 25th May, 1889
We JOHN ALFRED STEPHAN Artist and RICHARD SOUTHERTON Fitter both of
9 Chandos Road Highgate Park Birmingham in the county of Warwick do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I
In the first place we get a material rich in Alumina such as Emery Alum Slate or
Clay.
We cause a stream of Fluorine or Carbonic Acid to pass through it which as the
effect of causing the metal to subside.
We get the same result by mixing a Fluate or Carbonate of Lime with the material
and burning them together.
For making Alloys of the same Copper Iron or any other metal is simply mixed
and burnt with it.
Dated this 14th day of July 1888.
JOHN ALFRED STEPHAN
RICHARD SOUTHERTON.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in the Manufacture of Aluminium and its Alloys.
We JOHN ALFRED STEPHAN Artist and RICHARD SOUTHERTON Fitter both of
9 Chandos Road Highgate Park Birmingham in the County of Warwick, 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 an improved method of manufacturing Aluminium and
also to the alloys of the same especially the alloy of the material with Iron or Iron
ore which we call Aluminium steel.
This with the other alloys of Aluminium and also of the Aluminium metal itself
comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
Emery Alum Clay or any other material rich in Alumina by preference Emery or
one of the Alums on account of their being comparatively free from silica. One or
more of these materials are or is placed in a suitable furnace and heated up to incan-
descence for a few hours. When a current of Fluorine is generated by placing fluate of
Lime in a Leaden generator slightly heating it and pouring on this concentrated
Oil of Vitriol.
This generates the current of Fluorine or in a strict sense a combination of
hydogen and Fluorine, which is in reality hydrofluoric acid gas.
This current is kept up by supplying more oil of Vitriol and fluate of Lime or in
other words Fluoride of Calcium.
The Emery Alum Clay or any other material rich in Alumina by preference Emery
and Ammonia Alum.
The Emery is coarsely powdered and mixed with an equal weight of the Alum
this being chosen on account of it being comparatively free from silica and also of
their assuming the spongy state when heated which is just in the right condition for
the fluorine to be slowly passed through it until this material is in a pasty state which
is easily ascertained by pushing an Iron rod into it.
When this pasty state is proved to exist the pipes conveying the fluorine or hydro-
fluoric acid gas are disconnected and the current stopped and the heat raised until the
metal flows.
These pipes which convey the fluorine or hydrofluoric acid gas to the furnace are
coated on the inside with fluospar to prevent them from being eaten away.
The furnace is an ordinary Brass Casters one on the fire grate is placed a stand
for the pots or crucibles to stand upon this is made of a refractory material and there
is a hole through it and a corresponding hole in the bottom of the pots or crucibles
to allow of the fluorine or hydrofluoric acid gas to pass through it.
The pipes that convey the fluorine or hydrofluoric acid gas are luted into this.
This Aluminium metal is only in a crude state containing a variable percentage
of Iron according to the quantity originally present in the materials used.
If required pure or commercially so the Iron must be eliminated in the ordinary
way.

page_text: Which is to granulate metal then to pour over it very dilute sulphuric acid which
dissolves the Iron leaving the Aluminium untouched.
The second part of our improvements relates especially to the treatment of Iron or Iron
Ore by preference Hematite Iron Ore with Emery and Alum the Emery Stone is first
pounded into coarse powder and an equal amount by weight of Alum by preference
Ammonia Alum is then added to it and after the moisture is driven off by heating it is
then ready for use.
Four parts of this mixture are added to one hundred parts of Iron Ore by preference
Hematite and placed in a blast furnace with the ordinary fuel which is coal and coke
and the ordinary flux Limestone the proportion varying in the different Ores to be
reduced.
These proportions make best Aluminium pig steel but the proportions can be varied
so as to make double and treble best Aluminium pig steel.
The parts can range from two in the hundred to four six eight ten or more if
required according to the temper desired.
When the Emery and Alum mixture in the proportion of four parts of the
mixture to one hundred parts of molten metalic Iron in a reverberatory or puddling
furnace Aluminium Steel results.
The Emery and Alum mixture in this case being simply thrown into the molten
metalic Iron and puddled with it thereby producing Aluminium steel of the best
quality.
This going through the rolling mills makes the finest tool Steel.
This material alloys with other metals better after reduction.
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 :-
1. In mixing Emery and Alum or other materials rich in Alumina with Emery and
passing fluorine or bydrofluoric acid gas through them for the purposes specified.
2. For mixing Emery and Alum or other material rich in Alumina with Emery
for the production of an artificial Aluminite substantially in the manner described..
3. In mixing Emery Alum or other materials rich in Alumina with Iron or Iron
Ore substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 12th day of March 1889.
JOHN ALFRED STEPHAN and
RICHARD
SOUTHERTON.