Improvements in the Manufacture of Iron Alloys.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Iron Alloys.
I, ROBERT ABBOTT HADFIELD, of The Grove, Endcliffe Vale Road, Sheffield,
in the County of York, Steel Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this,
invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to the manufacture of alloys containing iron, carbon
and from 7% to 30% or thereabouts of manganese, and either from 24 to 8 %
or thereabouts of silicon, or from 2% to 8% or thereabouts of aluminium, or from
1% to 8% or thereabouts each of silicon and aluminium. Such alloys may be
manufactured in any convenient and suitable manner. Usually about three and
a half per cent. of carbon will give satisfactory results, but the proportion may be
varied
The following are some examples of bases:-
Fluid manganese steel containing from about 7 % to 30% of manganese.
From 10% to 12 % of manganese is a very suitable proportion.
2. Manganese steel scrap containing from about 7% to 30% of manganese .elted
in any suitable manner, such as in cupolas, crucibles or other furnaces.
3. Mixtures of white or grey pig iron, or both together, with ferro-manganes,
such as to give from about 7% to 30% of manganese in the final product.
4. Mixtures of white or grey pig iron, or both, with spiegel or with spiegel
and ferro-manganese conjointly, so as to give from about 7 % to 30% of manganese
in the final product.
portion of manganese; but the larger the proportion of manganese, the more
The less magnetic the product is required to be, the greater should be the pro-
difficult it will become to effect the change in the condition of the carbon.
To any of the above bases, or mixtures of them, I add (a) preferably by means
el ferro-silicon, a percentage of silicon such as will give in the final product from
or about 2% to 8% of silicon, varying this latter element to a certain extent
according to the degree of softness required in the material. About 4 % is a
very suitable proportion or
(b) By means of aluminium or ferro-aluminium sufficient aluminium to give
in the final product a percentage of or about from 2% to 8% of aluminium;
or
(c) Mixtures of the elements aluminium and silicon such as to give in the final
product about from 1% to 8% of aluminium and 14% to 8% of silicon. A lower
limit is here named than in the previous examples because if each of the elements
be used lesser percentages can be employed.
"When the base is manganese steel it will be found also desirable to increase
the carbon by means of grey or white pig iron or by such means as the addition of
graphite or charcoal as well as introducing silicon or aluminium additions as
before described. In some cases, for example where manganese steel is the base,
it is desirable to add more manganese owing to the decrease of this element by

page_text: dilution. This may be done by means of ferro-manganese or spiegeleisen, the
latter giving both carbon and manganese.
It will be readily understood that a number of combinations for obtaining the
desired percentages of manganese, silicon, aluminium, aluminium and silicon,
and carbon may be arranged in other ways than above suggested."
Although such alloys as ferro-silicon and ferro-manganese are specially men-
tioned, other alloys such as silicon-spiegel may be employed or introduced into the
mixture.
I consider it preferable to keep the silicon or aluminium as low as convenient,
in order to maintain the tensile strength of the resultant product as much as
possible, but where this is not of importance, less attention may be paid to this
point. Other elements, such as nickel chromium and tungsten, may be present
when special qualities conferred by these elements are desired but I do not pro-
pose to use them ordinarily owing to the extra expense.
The bases and additions may be melted and mixed in any convenient manner
either by melting together, or by melting separately and afterwards mixing.
The products are almost entirely non-magnetid and possess many valuable
qualities for electrical purposes. They are also in most cases machinable.
Dated this 4th day of November 1896.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Iron Alloys.
I, ROBERT ABBOTT HADFIELD, of The Grove, Endcliffe Vale Road, 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 :-
According to my present invention I manufacture alloys containing iron and
carbon together with from 7% to 30% or thereabouts of manganese, an.. either from
2 to 8% or thereabouts of silicon, or from 2% to 8%, or thereabouts of aluminium,
or from 1% to 8% or thereabouts each of silicon and aluminium. Such alloys may be
manufactured in any convenient and suitable manner. Usually about three and
a half per cent. of carbon will give satisfactory results, but the proportion may be
varied.
The following are some examples of bases:
1. Fluid manganese steel containing from about 7 % to 30% of manganese.
From 10% to 12 % of manganese is a very suitable proportion.
2. Manganese steel scrap containing from about 7% to 30% of manganese melted
in any suitable manner, such as in cupolas, crucibles or other furnaces.
3. Mixtures of white or grey pig iron, or both together, with ferro-manganese,
such as to give from about 7% to 30% of manganese in the final product.
4. Mixtures of white or grey pig iron, or both, with spiegel or with spiegel
and ferro-manganese conjointly, so as to give from about 7% to 30% of manganese
in, the final product.
The less magnetic the product is required to be, the greater should be the pro-
portion of manganese, but the larger the proportion of manganese, the more
difficult it will become to effect the change in the condition of the carbon, that is
to say, to change the combined carbon in the base into the graphitic form, which

page_text: is an important feature in my improvements. To any of the above bases, or
mixtures of them, I add (a) preferably by means of ferro-silicon, a percentage of
silicon such as will give in the final product from or about 2% to 8% of silicon,
varying this latter element to a certain extent according to the degree of softness
required in the material.. Aboat 4% is a very suitable proportion; or
(b) By means of aluminium or ferro-aluminium sufficient aluminium to give
in the final product a percentage of about from 2% to 8% or thereabout, of
aluminium; or
(c) Mixtures of the elements aluminium and silicon such as to give in the final
product about from 1% to 8% of aluminium and 14% to 8% of silicon. A lower
limit is here named than in the previous examples because if each of the elements
be used, lesser percentages can be employed.
"When the base is manganese steel it will be found also desirable to increase
the carbon by means of grey or white pig iron, or by such means as the addition of
graphite or charcoal as well as introducing silicon or aluminium additions as
before described.
In some cases, for example where manganese steel is the base, it is desirable
to add more manganese owing to the decrease of this element by dilution. This
may be done by means of ferro-manganese or spiegeleisen, the latter giving both
carbon and manganese.
It will be readily understood that a number of combinations for obtaining the
desired percentages of manganese, silicon, aluminium, aluminium and silicon,
and carbon may be arranged in other ways than above suggested.
Although such alloys as ferro-silicon and ferro-manganese are specially men-
tioned, other alloys such as silicon-spiegel may be employed or introduced into the
mixture.
I consider it preferable to keep the silicon or aluminium as low as convenient,
in order to maintain the tensile strength of the resultant product as high as
possible, but where this is not of importance, less attention may be paid to this
point. Other elements, such as nickel, chromium and tungsten, may be present
when special qualities conferred by these elements are desired but I do not
propose to use them ordinarily owing to the extra expense.
The bases and additions may be melted and mixed in any convenient manner
either by melting together, or by melting separately and afterwards mixing.
The following are some examples of manufactures of alloys according to my
present invention which I have found to give satisfactory results for the purposes
indicated (that is to say):
T. One alloy of iron, carbon, manganese and silicon having non-magnetic
qualities and suitable for dynamo-brackets and other parts is produced by melting
and mixing together 71 lbs. of No. 1 hematite pig from 52 lbs. of 13% silicious
pig iron, and 26 lbs. of 80 %, ferro-manganese, the resulting iron alloy containing
about 3% of carbon, 13 % manganese and 6% of silicon.
II. One alloy of iron, carbon, manganese and aluminium having non-magnetic
qualities and suitable for dynamo brackets and other parts is produced by melting
and mixing together 71 lbs. of No. 1 hematite pig iron, 62 lbs. of aluminium, and
26 lbs. of 80% ferro-manganese, the resulting iron alloy containing about 3% of
carbon, 13% of manganese, 42% of aluminium.
III. One alloy of iron, carbon, manganese, silicon and aluminium having non-
magnetic qualities and suitable for dynamo brackets and other parts is produced
by melting and mixing together 71 lbs. of No. 1 hematite pig iron, 52 lbs. of 13 %
silicious pig iron, 26% of 80 % ferro-manganese and 2 lbs. of aluminium, the
resulting iron alloy containing about 3% of carbon, 13 % manganese, 6% of
silicon and 2% of aluminium.
In each case the several constituents of the alloy may be melted separately and
afterwards mixed, or they may be melted together.
The products in each case are almost entirely non-magnetic and possess valuable

page_text: qualities for electrical purposes. They are also in most cases machinable, as is the
case with the examples hereinabove given.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be or may be performed or carried into prac-
tical effect, I hereby declare that what I claim is:-
1. The manufacture of alloys containing iron and carbon, together with from
7% to 30% or thereabouts of manganese, and from 2% to 80% or thereabouts
of silicon.
2. The manufacture of alloys containing iron and carbon together with from
7% to 30% or thereabouts of manganese and from 2% to 8% or thereabouts of
aluminium.
3. The manufacture of alloys containing iron and carbon together with from
7% to 30% or thereabouts of manganese and from 1% to 8% r thereabouts of
silicon and from 1% to 8% or thereabouts of aluminium.
4. My improved iron alloys substantially as hereinabove described.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agen'.