Improvements in the Manufacture of what is known as Manganese Steel.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 25th May, 1894
4
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of what is known as Manganese
Steel.
I, ROBERT ABBOTT HADFIELD of Sheffield in the County of York, Steel
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
--
This invention has reference to improvements in carrying out the invention
forming the subject matter of a former Patent granted to Robert Hadfield No. 200
of the year 1883 according to which iron or metal either wholly or to a great extent
decarbonized and refined or steel while in course of manufacture is treated by
introducing therein a sufficient proportion of rich ferro-manganese to produce in
such decarbonized iron or metal or steel a percentage of manganese varying
between but not less than 7 nor more than 20 per cent. according to the purpose for
which the steel is to be used.
In carrying out the process the ferro-manganese has been first weighed in the
cold state and after melting has been then added in requisite quantities to the
decarbonized iron or steel. Difficulty has been experienced in ensuring the addition
of the exact proportion of ferro-manganese actually needed. Losses are liable to
occur during the melting of the ferro-manganese when effected in crucibles owing
to the cutting or slagging action of the ferro-manganese upon the walls of the
crucibles, or by oxidation; so that notwithstanding careful weighing whilst cold
there has been some uncertainty as to the quantity actually added when producing
the manganese steel, and there has been consequent liability to undesirable variations
in the proportions of both carbon and manganese. Furthermore in consequence of
the uncertainty just referred to and of the difficulties in getting exact weights in the
heats or charges, it has been necessary to have more decarbonized iron than the
quantity actually required, since a "short "
heat might result in an excessive
percentage of manganese; and as such decarbonized iron has been of little use and
of even less value than ordinary steel scrap, there has resulted practically a waste
of decarbonized iron to the extent in some instances of say from 10% to 15%
Attempts have been made to obviate this waste by pouring the whole of the
decarbonized iron on to the ferro-manganese but as the latter has been liable to
variation, so also has the product.
Now the object of my present invention is to obviate waste and ensure greater
uniformity in the composition of the manganese steel produced. With this object
the ferro-manganese and the ordinary steel are brought together and mixed in a
ladle or vessel that is adapted by suitable weighing mechanism to shew the weight
of its contents so that by introducing the materials separately and successively the
weight of each and consequently the proportions will be easily controlled.
convenient method of carrying this into effect is as follows:-
A
A heat of ordinary steel is made in any convenient manner, such as by the
Bessemer, open hearth, basic or other method. This steel is preferably of mild
temper, that is, low in carbon, as I consider it desirable to keep down the percentage
of carbon. Higher carbons can be used, but if 14% or thereabout be exceeded, it
will be at the expense of toughness and ductility in the resultant product. The
said steel is transferred to a ladle which for distinction I will call No. 1. Another
ladle I will call No. 2 is hung from a Denison suspended weighing machine or is
placed upon a suitable platform weighing machine or other weighing device, and
has poured or placed into it the necessary quantity of molten or heated ferro-
manganese of suitable percentage according to the percentage required in the
manganese steel to be produced. There is then added to the contents of ladle No. 2

page_text: as much of the ordinary steel from No. 1 as will increase the weight of the contents
of No. 2 to that of the required quantity of manganese steel. In this way thorough
admixture may be effected but if desired there may be additional stirring. The
product will then be ready for pouring into ingots or castings.
The following will afford an illustration of the above manner of carrying my
invention into effect. If in ladle No. 1 there be 45 cwts. of ordinary steel, and in
ladle No. 2 say 6 cits. 1 qr. 14 lbs. of 80% ferro-manganese; then there may be
added to the contents of ladle No. 2, 33 cwts. 2 qrs. 14 lbs. of ordinary steel from
ladle No. 1, thus producing in ladle No. 2 a total of 40 cwts. of manganese steel,
which will give a product containing about 13% of manganese; and leaving in
ladle No. 1, 11 cwts. 1 qr. 14 lbs. of ordinary steel that can be used for ingots or
castings of ordinary carbon steel in the usual way.
Another way but which I do not consider equally convenient would be to pour
the steel into ladle No. 2 direct from the converter; taking from the furnace by
another ladle any steel left there after withdrawal of the quantity required to make
up the desired weight of manganese steel to be produced in ladle No. 2.
Dated this 17th day of July 1893.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Manufacture of what is known as Manganese
Steel.
I, ROBERT ABBOTT HADFIELD, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Steel
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 :-
This invention has reference to improvements in carrying out the invention
forming the subject matter of a former Patent granted to Robert Hadfield No. 200
of the year 1883, according to which iron or metal either wholly or to a great
extent decarbonized and refined, or steel while in course of manufacture, is treated
by introducing therein a sufficient proportion of rich ferro-manganese to produce in
such decarbonized iron or metal or steel, a percentage of manganese varying
between but not less than 7 nor more than 20 per cent. according to the purpose for
which the steel is to be used.
r
In carrying out the process the ferro-manganese has been first weighed in the
cold state, and after melting, has been then added, in requisite quantities, to the
decarbonized iron or steel. Difficulty has been experienced in ensuring the addition
of the exact proportion of ferro-manganese actually needed. Losses are liable to
occur during the melting of the ferro-manganese when effected in crucibles, owing
to the cutting or slagging action of the ferro-manganese upon the walls of the
crucibles, or by oxidation, so that, notwithstanding careful weighing whilst cold,
there has been some uncertainty as to the quantity actually added when producing
the manganese steel, and there has been consequent liability to undesirable
variations in the proportions of both carbon and manganese. Furthermore, in
consequence of the uncertainty just referred to, and of the difficulties in getting
exact weights in the heats or charges, it has been necessary to have more
decarbonized iron than the quantity actually required, since a "short" heat might
result in an excessive percentage of manganese; and as such decarbonized iron has
been of little use, and of even less value than ordinary steel scrap, there has
resulted practically a waste of decarbonized iron to the extent in some instances of
say from 10% to 15%. Attempts have been made to obviate this waste by

page_text: pouring the whole of the decarbonized iron on to the ferro-manganese but as the
latter has been liable to variation, so also has the product.
Now the object of my present invention is to obviate waste and ensure greater
uniformity in the composition of the manganese steel produced. With this object
the ferro-manganese and the ordinary steel are brought together and mixed in a
ladle or vessel that is adapted by suitable weighing mechanism to shew the weight
of its contents so that by introducing the materials separately and successively the
weight of each and consequently the proportions will be easily controlled.
convenient method of carrying this into effect is as follows:-
이
A
A heat of ordinary steel is made in any convenient manner, such as by the
Bessemer, open-hearth, basic or .other method. This steel is preferably of mild
temper, that is, low in carbon, as I consider it desirable to keep down the
percentage of carbon. Higher carbons can be used, but if 1% or thereabout be
exceeded, it will be at the expense of toughness and ductility in the resultant
product. The said steel is transferred to a ladle which for distinction I will call
No. 1. Another ladle I will call No. 2 is hung from a Denison suspended weighing
machine or is placed upon a suitable platform weighing machine or other weighing
device, and has poured or placed into it the necessary quantity of molten or heated
ferro-manganese of suitable percentage according to the percentage required in the
manganese steel to be produced. There is then added to the contents of ladle No. 2
as much of the ordinary steel from No. 1 as will increase the weight of the contents
of No. 2 to that of the required quantity of manganese steel. In this way thorough
admixture may be effected, but if desired there may be additional stirring. The
products will then be ready for pouring into ingots or castings.
The following will afford an illustration of the above manner of carrying my
invention into effect. If in ladle No. 1 there be 45 cwts. of ordinary steel, and in
ladle No. 2 say 6 cwts. 1 qr. 14 lbs. of 80% ferro-manganese; then there may be
added to the contents of ladle No. 2, 33 cwts. 2 qrs. 14 lbs. of ordinary steel from
ladle No. 1, thus producing in ladle No. 2 a total of 40 cwts. of manganese steel,
which will give a product containing about 13% of manganese; and leaving in
ladle No. 1, 11 cwts. 1 qr. 14 lbs. of ordinary steel that can be used for ingots or
castings of ordinary carbon steel in the usual way.
Another way, but which I do not consider equally convenient, would be to pour
the steel into ladle No. 2 direct from the converter; taking from the furnace by
another ladle any steel left there after withdrawal of the quantity required to make
up the desired weight of manganese steel to be produced in ladle No. 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In the manufacture of manganese steel in the manner set forth bringing the
ferro-manganese and the ordinary steel together and mixing them in a ladle or
vessel that is adapted by suitable weighing mechanism to show the weight of its
contents, the ferro-manganese and steel being added separately and successively so
that the weight of each, and consequently the proportions thereof, can be easily
controlled, as described.
Dated this 10th day of April 1894.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.