IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jacob Geoghegan Willans of No 68 Priory Road
Kilburn in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th September 1882.
JACOB GEOGHEGAN WILLANS of No 68 Priory Road Kilburn in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL"
My Invention relates firstly to the rendering cast iron less hard by causing it
when in a molten state to descend or flow through shapes or pieces of Aluminous
mineral or lime or through a compound coke formed from a mixture of Alumina or
Aluminous mineral with caking carbon such as Bituminous coal undried peat or
pitch. Instead of or along with the Alumina or aluminous mineral Lime or a
compound of lime may be mixed with the caking carbon before it be coked.
I prefer that the pieces of Alumina or lime or the compound coke be placed in a
cupola and brought to a. red heat and that the molten cast iron be run through the
pieces or carbonaceous compound whereby the original hardness of the metal will
be reduced. I prefer to have a little air ascending through at the same time.
My Invention relates secondly to the rendering more homogeneous a cast iron
which has been produced by melting down in a cupola furnace Steel or fine metal
with or without pig or cast iron. I effect this by placing the molten metal in a
reverberatory furnace preferably heated in accordance with my Patent N° 4439
dated 31st October 1879 thus giving its components more time at a sufficient heat
to become thoroughly mixed and amalgamated or to have any addition or modifi-
cation made before the metal be run into shapes or granulated.
My Invention relates lastly to the manufacture of Steel from cast iron containing
phosphorus by any pneumatic process-I inject along with the blast Alumina or an
Aluminous mineral in a finely divided state. Lime may be injected at same time.
as the Alumina or a fused or fritted compound of lime and alumina or other com-
pounds of alumina (such as Chlorides) may be reduced to powder and injected. To
prevent too great cooling of the metal under treatment I inject at same time some
oxidising salt such as nitrate of soda or potash.
I sometimes inject lime without added alumina and in such case I slake 'burnt
lime with a solution of the oxidising salt and apply the slaked lime powder.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th March 1883.
JACOB GEOGHEGAN WILLANS of 68 Priory Road Kilburn in the County of
Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL'
My Invention relates firstly to the treatment of cast irons which are more or less
hard owing to the presence of silicon and phosphorous therein
For this purpose I employ a peculiar compound coke with which to melt the
iron or it may be to smelt iron ore. In these or other ways I cause molten cast
iron in its descent in a furnace to flow amongst an ignited compound coke con-
'taining an aluminous mineral which had been intermixed with the coal before it
was coked.
A current of air is applied to maintain a brisk combustion and
oxidation
The aluminous mineral which I employ is Bauxite or it may be other aluminous
ore containing at least One and a half times as much alumina as silica but
preferably above three times as much
In carrying out the process I prefer to have one part by weight of the aluminous
mineral ground like fine sand or finer, intimately mixed with from fifteen to
, twenty times its weight of good quality bituminous coking coal previously crushed
to pass through a quarter inch screen this mixture I cause to be coked in a
coking oven in the usual manner
I use the resulting compound coke as fuel in iron blast furnaces producing cast
iron from other ores and also in cupola furnaces such as are employed in iron
undries. Some extra limestone should be charged videlicit about one tenth the
ghts of the compound cokes
_e molten iron in its descent into the lower part of the furnace comes into
.contact with the alumina of the mineral as it is uncovered by the combustion of
the fuel brought about by the blast and it is thereby rendered less hard than if
melted by ordinary coke from the same coal
Instead of adding extra lime in the form of limestone. Finely sifted slaked
lime may be well intermixed with the finely ground aluminous mineral in about
equal weights before the mineral is intermixed with the crushed coal the lime
should be comparatively free from silica but it may contain magnesia
Iron oxide intermixed with bituminous coal and coked has a tendency to render
the coke porous hence these minerals which are rich in alumina and contain less
iron than would constitute a workable ore for that metal are to be preferred in this
process
I claim the treatment of cast irons containing silicon and phosphorus (derived
from other ores) by causing such iron in a molten state to pass amongst an ignited
compound coke containing an aluminous mineral such as described and maintained
in a state of combustion by a current of air
In the manufacture of pig or cast metal by melting down steel in contact with
the fuel in a cupola furnace with or without cast iron, the steel does not absorb
carbon so regularly or to such extent as carbon usually exists in cast iron
I obtain greater homogeneousness and better quality in the resulting metal by
running it in a molten state into a heated reverberatory furnace and preferably a
furnace heated in accordance with my Patent Number 4439-1879 in which a
non oxidising atmosphere is maintained and by stirring or rabbling the metal
therein before running it into moulds or other forms
In carrying out the process I retain the fluid metal in the reverberatory furnace
for some time at a good heat preferably for at least ten minutes during which I
have it occasionally stirred or rabbled

page_text: At the same time additions of a non-oxidising nature may be made such as cast
iron or alloys of iron such as Spiegel or ferromanganese or charcoal may be rubbled
up with the molten metal
The reverberatory furnace should preferably be bottomed and lined with non-
oxidising material such as bricks from Stourbridge clay or magnesian lime
I claim the manufacture of cast or pig metal by melting steel (with or without
cast iron) in a cupola furnace in contact with fuel, and then treating the molten
metal in a reverberatory furnace substantially as described
My Invention relates thirdly to the manufacture of steel (especially to those
softer kinds sometimes called ingot iron) from cast iron containing phosphorous by
the Bessemer or other pneumatic process
I inject along with the blast an aluminous mineral in powder. I do not use a
pure alumina which if obtainable would be too infusible but an aluminous mineral
containing some intimately combined silica which together with other non
injurious substances renders the mineral sufficiently fusible in the converter or
steel furnace
I prefer that the process be carried out as follows
The aluminous mineral to be Bauxite or aluminous ore containing at least
One and a half times as much alumina as silica but preferably I would employ
those kinds which contain above three times as much alumina as silica.
The aluminous mineral should be ground finely preferably as fine as flour and
afterwards heated to a red heat in a pipe or retort to expel all water
This mineral powder whilst hot is to be dropped in measured quantity into the
blast pipe leading to the Bessemer converter or other steel furnace
It is preferable to apply at the same time some heated lime powder in about
equal weight to that of the aluminous powder or the aluminous mineral and lime
may be fritted together and afterwards ground to a powder and thus applied.
Neither powder should be made so hot as to agglomerate its particles
The lime powder having the aluminous mineral powder along with it will have
much less injurious action on a silicious lining of the converter or furnace than if
applied alone
•
Several arrangements for supplying powders from hoppers into blast pipes in
measured quantity are well known to mechanical engineers. Separate hoppers are
more convenient for the aluminous and lime powders as each powder may then be
dropped in any quantity or proportion into the blast pipe and the powders then
will get intermixed
In carrying out the process in the Bessemer steel converter I prefer that it
should be proceeded with as follows
About five minutes before the drop of the carbon flame a time easily estimated
by an experienced overseer the vessel is to be lowered to have as much silicious slag
removed as conveniently can be done
The blow is to be resumed with as little delay as possible and the powders then
dropped into the blast pipe near the converter in the proportion of about Twenty
pounds per minute of the aluminous powder and a like weight of the lime powder
for each ton of steel in the converter. But preferably to commence with only
Ten pounds of each should be used increasing gradually to Thirty pounds at the
end of the fifth minute at which rate Thirty pounds of each per minute per ton
of steel the supply may be continued if required
Slide valves at the bottom of the hoppers through which the powders descend
being gradually withdrawn or widened will enable this gradual increase to be
accomplished
These weights are based on the percentage of phosphorus not exceeding One per
cent. Should the metal contain more, the weight of powders per minute may be
increased in proportion when the carbon flame drops
One or two minutes after the drop of the carbon flame the steel should be
sampled and tested in the manner now frequently practised
Should the metal not be sufficiently satisfactory the blow is to be continued

page_text: with the injection of the powders until further sampling and testing shows that a
desirable result had been obtained
The Spiegel or other addition is then to be made and the converter emptied
As some irons work insufficiently hot during their conversion. It is desirable to
have another hopper (with feeding apparatus) over the blast pipe in the vicinity of
the converter. This hopper is to be charged with finely ground nitrate of soda or
potash which can be admitted when necessary into the pipe conveying the other
powders into the converter in order to increase the heat. From one twentieth
to one tenth the weight of the aluminous mineral and lime powder at same time
admitted will act beneficially
In other pneumatic processes used in steel furnaces on irons containing
phosphorus the aluminous mineral powder may be advantageously injected with
the blast
The Bauxite and aluminous ore named in this specification are those minerals
such as are abundantly raised in the County of Antrim Ireland. The Bauxite
commonly sold for use in the manufacture of alum and other aluminous prepara
tions, the aluminous ore often containing from twenty per cent to thirty three per
cent iron is exported largely for use in small proportion in iron blast furnaces
These minerals are also abundant in France and may be similarly applied.
I claim in the manufacture by a pneumatic process of steel or ingot iron from
cast iron containing phosphorus injecting along with the blast Bauxite or like ore
rich in alumina
I also claim injecting into a Bessemer converter together with the blast a mixture
of Bauxite or like aluminous ore and lime
In witness whereof I the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans have hereunto set
my hand and seal this fourteenth, day of March in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three
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חזוי 1UTT