Process for Alloying Iron and Steel Directly with Aluminium in the Blast Furnace.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct.; 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Aug., 1889-Accepted, 28th Sept.. 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Process for Alloying Iron and Steel Directly with Aluminium in the
Blast Furnace.
I, LEON QUENTIN BRIN, of 6, Rue Wilhem, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
My Invention relates to a process for alloying iron and steel directly with aluminium
in the blast furnace.
I have in previous applications for Letters Patent (Nos. 3547, 3549 and 8747
of 1888) described a process for producing alloys of iron and aluminium by means
of compounds of alumina and more particularly aluminium hydrate and sodium
chloride. The present invention has for its object the application of this process
in the blast furnace itself with a view to the direct production of alloys of aluminium
with iron and steel at the moment of their extraction from the ore, whatever may.be
the nature of this latter.
Every foundry has its own special method of producing iron or cast iron direct
from ores of one or more kinds or mixtures with a suitable flux such as lime, and for
the purpose of my invention, the same kinds of ores may be employed as well as
the ordinary methods of reduction, it being understood that the present invention
consists, as above mentioned, in the special application to blast furnaces of the
process already described in my former applications for Letters Patent. Thus, the
distribution of the layers of ore, flux, and fuel is not in any way changed and is effected
in any of the ways usually adopted in blast furnaces.
My Invention consists in interposing between the layers at any suitable point,
one or more layers of a mixture of sodium chloride and aluminium hydrate either
in a pulverized or agglomerated state. The alumina may be employed in any
physical or chemical condition, and may consist of potters' clay, hydrated alumina,
bauxite, or other clay rich in alumina or even of aluminium sulphate or alum.
I have in the accompanying drawing given an example of the method of charging
a blast furnace employing lime as a flux, a layer of the materials above mentioned
being added to each set of materials composing the charge, but it should however
be understood that the position occupied by the aluminous layer may be varied without
in any way affecting the results to be obtained.
The decomposition of the aluminium salts is, in all cases, effected at a high
temperature and concurrently with the reduction of the iron, the absorption of the
metallic aluminium in the nascent state taking place, so to speak, molecule for molecule
with the iron.
The metal obtained by this process contains a large proportion of aluminium and
is suitable for all the uses to which iron and steel are applied. It may be cast
in the ordinary moulds, its melting point being lower than that of ordinary
cast iron.
Dated this 4th day of October 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Process for Alloying Iron and Steel Directly with Aluminium in the
Blast Furnace.
I, LEON QUENTIN BRIN, of 6, Rue Wilhem, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: .
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This Invention relates to a process for alloying iron or steel directly with aluminium
in the blast furnace.
The specifications of previous applications for Letters Patent (Nos. 3547, 3549,
and 8747, of 1888) describe a process for producing alloys of iron and aluminium by
means of compounds of alumina and more particularly aluminium hydrate and sodium
chloride. The present invention consists in effecting the two-fold process of extracting
the iron or steel from the ore and of alloying the same with aluminium. This process
is carried into effect in a blast furnace and it permits of the direct production of alloys
of aluminium with iron or steel at the moment of their extraction from the ore what-
ever may be the impurities in this latter.
In different foundries, varied methods are adopted for producing iron or cast iron
direct from ores of one or more kinds or mixtures with a suitable flux, such as lime,
and for the purpose of this invention the same kinds of ores may be employed as well
as the ordinary methods of reduction.
The distribution of the layers of ore, flux, and fuel, need not be in any way changed
except in so far that, for the purpose of this invention; there are interposed between
the layers at any suitable points, layers of a mixture of sodium chloride and an
aluminium compound, for example aluminium hydrate either in a pulverised or
agglomerated state. The aluminium compound may be employed in any physical
or chemical condition and may consist of potters' clay, hydrated alumina, bauxite,
or other clay rich in alumina, or even of aluminium sulphate or alum.
The proportions of the mixture we prefer to use are one part by weight of
bauxite to one-and-a-half to two parts of sodium chloride, the excess of sodium
chloride having a beneficial action in purifying the metal. The quantity of the above
mentioned flux required will be about 15% to 20% of the weight of the one to be
treated, the proportion varying according to the nature of the ore.
The drawing accompanying my Provisional Specification represents an example
of the method of charging a blast furnace, employing lime as a flux, a layer of
the materials above mentioned being added to each set of materials composing the
charge, but it should, however, be understood that the position occupied by the
aluminium compound may be varied without in any way affecting the results to be
obtained.
The decomposition of the aluminium compound is, in all cases, effected at a high
temperature, the absorption of the nascent metallic aluminium by the iron taking
place concurrently with the reduction of the iron.
The alloy obtained by this process contains a large proportion of aluminium and
is suitable for most of the uses to which iron and steel are applied. It may be
cast in the ordinary moulds, or it may be rolled and wrought in the ordinary way.
In order to increase the proportion of aluminium in the alloy, a stream of aluminium
chloride vapor may be injected through the tuyère along with the air blast, the
said vapors being generated either by sublimating the chloride or a mixture of
common salt, clay, and borax in suitable proportions as specified in the patents already
referred to.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
The direct production, in the blast furnace, of alloys of aluminium with iron or
steel concurrently with the extraction of the iron or steel from the ore, substantially
as specified.
11000
Dated this Brd
"J
of August 1889.
L. Q. BRIN.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53; Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.