Improvements in the Manufacture of Nickel Alloys.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Nickel Alloys.
I, JOSEPH PATRICK, of 48, Weilburger Strasse, Frankfort-on-Maine, in the
German Empire, Engineer and Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention to be as follows:-
It is well known that the addition of magnesium will render nickel more ductile
than it is in its pure condition, and, in order to attain this result, it has hitherto
been the practice to melt down the nickel, to free it entirely from its slag, and
then to add the magnesium metal.
This course however it not without certain drawbacks as it is attended with
risk of explosions while it invariably leads to a somewhat serious loss of
magnesium.
Also, in proceeding in the aforesaid manner, it has been necessary to bring the
nickel bath, prior to the addition of the magnesium, to an accurately determined
temperature above its point of fusion which determination of temperature is
fraught with considerable difficulty.
All these inconveniences are obviated by conducting the operations according
to this invention as follows.
To the pieces of nickel to be melted, chloride of magnesium is added, together
with fluor spar and powdered charcoal, and the resulting mixture is melted, in a
cruicible. A layer of slag forms over the melting nickel bath which layer although
not stiff is very cohesive. The charcoal effects a reduction of the magnesium salt,
a certain amount of chlorine is liberated and escapes, and the reduced magnesium
enters the nickel bath and forms an alloy with the nickel.
In this manner a nickel alloy containing the desired percentage of magnesium
is obtained safely, at little cost, and without necessity for paying special attention
to the temperature.
Other magnesium compounds can be similarly utilized, though chloride of mag-
nesium is preferred.
By the aid of the bath thus prepared, and of its cohesive layer of slag, an
alloy of nickel and zinc can be produced wherein the percentage of zinc by far
exceeds that, which, in accordance with Fleitmann's theory, (see his German
Patent No. 9405), such an alloy has hitherto been deemed capable of attaining.
To effect this zinc pieces which have previously been heated, are introduced
into the bath (taking care to preserve the layer of slag intact) and are retained
at the bottom thereof (which may be done by means of an iron rod) until they
are dissolved in the bath of melted nickel.
A quantity of zinc more than double that hitherto combinable may thus be
added, and the peculiar nature of the layer of slag, as also the precaution of
keeping the zinc at the bottom, serve to prevent an escape of zinc vapours, and
enable the percentage of zinc in the alloy almost exactly to correspond to the
theoretical quantity.
These alloys of nickel are not so well fitted for the direct production of castings,

page_text: but are admirably suited to the preparation of an alloy of nickel and copper, both
moderate in price, and fulfilling all technical requirements; the copper in this
case being added to the nickel bath (described in the introductory part of this
specification) either before, or after, the addition of zinc.
The copper alloy obtained by this process, will answer all purposes for which
brass and tombac have hitherto been employed over which metals it presents the
advantages of a better colour, greater density and ductility, and very moderate
cost; and it is also distinguishable from German silver, by its considerably less
cost and its finer colour.
D
1000
Improvements in the Manufacture of Nickel Alloys.
I, JOSEPH PATRICK, of 48, Weilburger Strasse, Frankfort-on-Maine, in the
German Empire,. Engineer and Manufacturer, 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:
It is well known that the addition of magnesium will render nickel more ductile
than it is in its pure condition, and in order to obtain this result, it has hitherto
been the practice to melt down the nickel to free it entirely from its slag, and
then to add the magnesium-metal.
This course, however, it not without certain drawbacks, as it is attended with
risk of explosions; while it invariably leads to a somewhat serious loss of
magnesium.
Also, in proceeding in the aforesaid manner, it has been necessary to bring the
mickel bath, prior to the addition of the magnesium, to an accurately determined
temperature above its point of fusion which determination of temperature is
fraught with considerable difficulty.
All these inconveniences are obviated by conducting the operations according
to this invention as follows:-
To the pieces of nickel to be melted, chloride of magnesium is added, together
with fluor-spar and powdered charcoal, and the resulting mixture is melted in a
crucible. A layer of slag forms over the melting nickel bath which layer although
not stiff is very cohesive. The charcoal effects a reduction of the magnesium salt,
a certain amount of chlorine is liberated and escapes; and the reduced magnesium
enters the nickel bath and forms an alloy with the nickel.
In this manner a nickel-alloy containing the desired percentage of magnesium
is obtained safely, at little cost, and without necessity for paying special attention
to the temperature.
Other magnesium compounds can be similarly utilized, though chloride of mag-
nesium is preferred.
By the aid of the bath thus prepared and of its cohesive layer of slag, an
alloy of nickel and zinc can be produced wherein the percentage of zinc by far
exceeds that, which, in accordance with Fleitmann's theory, (see his German
Patent No. 9405), such an alloy has hitherto been deemed capable of attaining.
To effect this, zinc pieces which have previously been heated are introduced
into the bath (taking care to preserve the layer of slag intact), and are retained
at the bottom thereof (which may be done by means of an iron rod), until they
are dissolved in the bath of melted nickel.

page_text: A quantity of zinc more than double that hitherto combinable may thus be
added; and the peculiar nature of the layer of slag as also the precaution of
keeping the zinc at the bottom, serve to prevent an escape of zinc vapours, and
enable the percentage of zinc in the alloy almost exactly to correspond to the
theoretical quantity.
These alloys of nickel are not so well fitted for the direct production of castings,
but are admirably suited to the preparation of an alloy of nickel and copper, both
moderate in price, and fulfilling all technical requirements; the copper in this
case being added to the herein before described nickel bath either before, or after,
the addition of zinc.
The copper alloy obtained by this process will answer all purposes for which
brass and tombac have hitherto been employed over which metals it presents the
advantages of a better colour, greater density and ductility, and very moderate
cost; and it is also distinguishable from German silver by its considerably less
cost and its finer colour.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what.
I claim is:
1. The manufacture of an alloy of nickel and magnesium by melting down the
nickel, to which fluor-spar and charcoal have been added, in the presence of
chloride, or other compound, of magnesium.
2. The manufacture of an alloy of nickel and magnesium containing a high
percentage of zinc; by adding zinc to the nickel-magnesium bath obtained in
accordance with the preceding claiming clause; the pieces of zinc, which have
been previously heated, being passed through the layer of slag formed on the
said bath as aforesaid and kept at the bottom of the said bath until the zinc is
entirely melted.
3. The manufacture of a nickel-copper alloy by adding copper to the nickel
bath, prepared in accordance with the preceding first claiming clause, either
before, or after, the addition of zinc.
Dated this 11th day of Sentember 1890
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.