IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION OF IRON BY THE THOMAS GILCHRIST PROCESS, AND IN THE PRODUCTION AND RECOVERY OF BYE-PRODUCTS THEREFROM
Year: 1885

page_text: Process, and in the Production and Recovery of Bye-products
therefrom.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, Fel. Inst. P.A. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323
High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION OF IRON
BY THE THOMAS GILCHRIST PROCESS, AND IN THE PRODUCTION AND RECOVERY
OF BYE-PRODUCTS THEREFROM" (a communication from abroad by Bernhard Osann
of Potsdam in the Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of Germany, Geheimer-Ober-
Rechnungsrath) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
By fusing a mixture of carbonate of soda or carbonate of potassium (hydrate of
soda or of potassium may also be employed) with sesquioxide of iron or with
sesquioxide of manganese, an anhydrous refractory compound of soda or potash
and sesquioxide of iron or of soda or potash and sesquioxide of manganese will be
obtained, which, when treated with water gives a solution of caustic soda or of
caustic potash, with separation of sesquioxide of iron or sesquioxide of manganese.
This fusing process, executed in the Thomas converter, offers an advantageous
opportunity on one side of producing in a cheap manner caustic alkalies, on the
other side of rendering soluble in water, the phosphoric acid, chromic acid and other
acids which may be formed in the Thomas-slag.
ي
The usual flux of lime to the iron which is to be refined in the Thomas converter
can in this process of course be spared.
;
The above described combined process can be carried out in one of three ways.
1. An intimate mixture with the sesquioxide of iron of the carbonated alkalies
corresponding to the chemical formula.
1002.
65 1.

page_text: (preferably of a spherical shape) and introduced in a thoroughly dried or roasted
(fritted) condition into the Thomas converter, in the same way as the quick lime,
The mass then gradually fuses upon the metal bath and is run off after the
refining.
.
The sesquioxide of iron may be replaced in this process also by the sesquioxide of
manganese.
2. Carbonated alkalies are formed in the same way by wetting the dry pul-
verulent mass with water or with a saturated solution of carbonated alkalies, into
solid bodies either by employing pressure or by compressing the mass into sheet.
iron moulds; the bodies are then thoroughly dried or fritted. The carbonated
alkalies may also be fused and thus directly introduced with the iron into the
converter, or they may be fused separately and then poured into moulds or they
may be broken into pieces; the materials thus prepared, with exception of the
substances filled in in a melted state with the iron, are introduced into the con-
verter after the iron has been introduced and the converter raised again.
3. The above described two processes may be combined in such a manner that an
excess of carbonated alkali is added from the beginning of the mixture indicated
under 1, or that this mixture together with the carbonated alkali prepared according
to the method mentioned under 2, are introduced simultaneously or subsequently
into the converter.
The slag, which in applying the process mentioned under 1, contains only
Na O or K O yields, when treated with water after the cutting off and cooling, a
lye containing phosphate of soda or of potash, silicate, vanadium salt, etcetera, and
also the excess of caustic soda, or of caustic potash leaving behind the oxides of iron
and manganese and also the earths passed over from the coating of the converter
into the slag.
The above acids are separated by known processes and the caustic alkali
remaining in solution, is evaporated to a concentrated lye or to the solid state.
In applying the process mentioned under 1, or the combined process 1 and 2 the
slag contains still carbonated alkali. When it is desirable to convert completely the
carbonated alkali into caustic alkali, finely powdered sesquioxide of iron is spread
upon the slag being still in the inclined converter, or by means of a special arrange-
ment adapted on the cinder tub the slag flowing into the latter is mixed with
sesquioxide of iron or of manganese. The lye produced from the slags treated in
this way contains then after the precipitation of the acids, only caustic alkali, and
can be treated and utilized in the manner above described. Otherwise a lye may
also be prepared from the not entirely caustic slag which contains a mixture of
caustic and of carbonated alkali.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim
1st. The utilisation of the Thomas process for producing ingot iron and steel iron,
for the purpose of obtaining as bye-products caustic alkalies.
(a) by fusing in the Thomas converter a mixture of carbonated alkali or of
caustic alkali with sesquioxide of iron or with sesquioxide of manganese,
(b) by mixing the slags formed by a flux of carbonated alkali fused in the
converter, and containing still carbonated alkali with pulverulent sesquioxide of
iron or with sesquioxide of manganese immediately before or after cutting off the
hot liquid slag.
(c) by treating finally with water the slag produced according to the method
indicated under a and b.
2nd. The reduction by means of the process indicated in claim 1 of the phosphoric
acid, silicic acid, vanadic acid, formed by the Thomas process, into soluble or
dissolved alkaline combinations.

page_text: 3rd. The replacing of the flux of lime hitherto in use in the Thomas process by a
flux composed of:
(a) A mixture of sesquioxide of iron or of sesquioxide of manganese and
carbonated alkali or caustic alkali.
(b) of carbonated alkali in lumps or in the fused state, or
(c) a flux composed of a and b together, or of a mixture of a and b.
All these materials may be used either in compact pieces or in a melted state.
4th. The manufacturing of these compact pieces from the above cited materials
by moistening or by mixing the dry mixture or, material with water or with a
saturated solution of caustic alkali, or of carbonated alkali by, moulding the mass
either by pressure or by compressing it-into moulds of sheet iron, with subsequent
drying and heating or finally by fusing the carbonated alkali, and running the
fused mass into moulds and breaking the mass into pieces when cool.