IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PHOSPHORIC OR OTHER IRON BY THE BESSEMER PROCESS, AND IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Riley, F.C.S., of No. 2, City Road, Finsbury Square,
in the County of Middlesex, Metallurgist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE TREATMENT OF PHOSPHORIC OR OTHER IRON BY THE BESSEMER PROCESS,
AND IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Riley at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th April 1879.
EDWARD RILEY, F.C.S., of No. 2, City Road, Finsbury Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Metallurgist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PHOSPHORIC OR
OTHER IRON BY THE BESSEMER PROCESS, AND IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN.”
This Invention has for its object improvements in the treatment of phosphoric or
other iron by the Bessemer process, and in the arrangement of apparatus to be
employed therein.
For this purpose I cause molten phosphoric or other pig to be treated first in a
converter lined with the ordinary ganister lining, so as to remove the larger
portions of the silicon in the metal, and afterwards I cause the molten and partially
blown iron to be transferred into a converter lined with a lime or other basic lining,
and there to be further blown.
By these means I remove almost entirely the silicon from the metal before
treating it in a converter lined with lime, and so the fluxing action of the silica on
the basic lining is in a great measure obviated, and the pig can be treated for the
removal of the phosphorus more readily on account of a less amount of flux being
required, and consequently a less amount of cinder being formed, thus less heat will
be abstracted from the converter.
Although this Invention is specially applicable to the treatment of phosphoric
pig it may with advantage be used to improve the quality of ordinary Bessemer
metal after the same has been blown in a ganister lined converter, the last traces of
Bilicon are by such treatment more effectually removed, and the quality of the
metal is thereby improved.
For the more convenient conduct of my improved process I arrange the pair of
converters which I employ in such manner that the metal may be poured direct
from the ganister lined converter into that provided with the basic lining.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Riley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th October
1879.
EDWARD RILEY, F.C.S., of 2, City Road, Finsbury Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Metallurgist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PHOSPHORIC OR
OTHER IRON BY THE BESSEMER PROCESS, AND IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the treatment of highly
phosphoric or other pig iron by the Bessemer process, and in the arrangement of
apparatus employed therein.
For this purpose I cause the molten pig iron to be blown first in a Bessemer
converter (either tipping or fixed) with the ordinary ganister or silica-brick lining
in the ordinary manner till the greater part of the silicon in the pig is oxidised; I
generally prefer not to leave more than about one half of one per cent. of silicon in
the metal; I then transfer the molten partly blown metal (without the slag) into a
second converter lined with a lime or other basic lining, and I then further blow
the metal with additions of lime or lime and a little oxide of iron, so as to produco
a highly basic slag, till the carbon, or if it is a highly phosphoretic iron, the carbon
and the phosphorus are also removed. I prefer that this second basic converter
should be the ordinary tipping Bessemer vessel. A converter in which extraneous
heat is provided in addition to an air blast, such as the Ponsard converter, may also
be used for the second converter, providing it have a basic lining and basic additions
be used. In order to effect the transfer from the disiliconising to the finishing
vessel more rapidly (this being of considerable importance) I prefer to arrange the
two vessels side by side close together, but at different levels, so that the desiliconised
metal can flow direct by a short wide runner from the upper desiliconising vessel
into the lower basic vessel, the slag being skimmed off in the runner and prevented
from entering the second vessel. Or the metal may be transferred direct from one
vessel to the other in a ladle, the metal being tapped (of course without the slag)
from the bottom of the ladle into the basic vessel; this being a well known mode
of charging Bessemer vessels. This ladle may be conveniently placed on the ladle
crane, if this have a sufficiently long lift to command both vessels. The ladle
should in this case be on a trolly so as to have lateral motion along the crane (as
well as a vertical one) on the American system. I do not however claim this
method of transferring metal to the converter in a ladle, as it has been before
practised.
As by this process almost the whole of the silicon is removed before the metal is
treated in the basic vessel; the fluxing action of the silica on the basic lining is
avoided, and the desiliconised metal can be treated for the removal of the phos-
phorus more readily on account of a less amount of basic addition being necessary,
and consequently a less amount of cinder being formed. Thus less heat will bo
abstracted from the metal. The special utility of this Invention is found in the
treatment of highly phosphoric pig, especially such as contains a large percentage
of silicon. It may however be also used to improve the quality of the ordinary
Bessemer metal, the last traces of silicon, phosphorus, and sulphur being by this
treatment more effectually removed, and a very high class material obtained.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the saine is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim the
use of basic linings or basic additions in the Bessemer or pneumatic process, but
I claim in respect of the treatment of pig iron for conversion into steel or ingot
iron,―
The combination of two successive converting operations, the first in an ordinary

page_text: converter, so as to remove the bulk of the silicon, and the second in a converter
having a lime or other basic lining, so as to eliminate phosphorus and other impurities,
substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Riley, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
EDW. RILEY. (L.S.)