Improvements in and connected ie Alloying
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in and connected
ie Alloying
We, ALEXANDER EDWIN TUCKER, F.I.C., F.C.S., and THEOPHILUS VAUGHAN
HUGHES, F.I.C., F.C.S., A.R.S.M., both of Nc. 35 Paradise Street, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Assayers and Metallurgists, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to improvements in and connected with the
alloying of metals. Hitherto it has been the practice when alloys of metals have
been required, to add the desired metal in the metallic state in which it is found
in commerce, to the bath of mother metal, such as steel, iron, copper, aluminium,
tin, lead, nickel, zinc, silver or the molten alloys of these metals such as cupro-
nickel, solder or the like. It is found that metals to be used as alloying metals
can be conveniently and economically introduced into such baths of mother metals
by the following means.
We take oxides or salts of the metal or metals which it is desired to incorporate,
for instance when 'aluminium is to be introduced into a bath of steel, we should
take bauxite or cryolite and mix it with such amounts of carbon, and if desirable
such amounts of other reducing materials, such as lime, as will on subjecting the
mixture to a suitable temperature, ensure the reduction of the metalliferous
compound or compounds to their metallic base or bases. After this addition of
carbon the mixture is made up with suitable binding materials such as tar, water,
silicate of soda, china clay, flour, paste, or the like, and pressed into bricks. After
having been dried, these bricks are heated to a suitable temperature in a reducing
atmosphere for a sufficient time to ensure the reduction of the metal or metals
contained in them. After having been cooled, the bricks may advantageously
be coated with tar, paraffin, wax or any material adapted to protect them from the
action of the air and damp. On adding such a brick to a bath of suitable metal,
the latter will rapidly absorb the reduced metal in the brick, and an alloy will be
formed identical in its properties with that which would have been obtained had
a similar amount of ordinary commercial metal been used.
We find similarly that other metals and substances may be reduced and
similarly alloyed in a bath of mother metal when an alloy between them is
chemically possible, such as aluminium, antimony, bismuth, cadmium, calcium,
cobalt, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, nickel, osmium, phosphorus,
potassium, silver, sodium, tin, titanium, tungsten and zinc.
Dated this 26th day of June 1896.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with the Alloying of Metals.
We, ALEXANDER EDWIN TUCKER, F.I.C., F.C.S., and THEOPHILUS VAUGHAN
HUGHES, F.I.C., F.C.S., A.R.S.M., both of No. 35 Paradise Street, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Assayers and Metallurgists, 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:-
The present invention relates to improvements in and connected with the alloy-
ing of metals and consists in a novel process for introducing the alloying metal
into the bath of mother metal.
Up to the present time it has been the practice when any given alloy has been
required, to manufacture it by the following two stage process:-
(a.) Taking the desired alloying metal in one of the reduced or metallic
conditions in which it occurs in commerce and
(b.) Adding it to the bath of mother metal.
Among other metals treated by the above mentioned process, may be enumerated
steel; iron, copper, aluminium, tin, lead, nickel, zinc, silver, and among alloys so
treated, cupro-nickel, solder, and the like.
We have discovered that the desired alloying metal can be prepared for
introduction into the mother metal by the following novel process.
(a.) We take one or more of the oxides or salts of the alloying metal or metals,
that is, of the metal or metals which it is desired to incorporate in and with the
mother metal.
(b.) Mix with it or them, as the case may be, a certain quantity of a reducing
agent:
(c.) Make the mixture up into blocks:
(d.) Heat the blocks in a reducing atmosphere:
As an instance under (a.) of the selection of a salt of aluminium, when it is
desired to produce an alloy of aluminium with steel, we should select either
bauxite or cryolite.
The reducing agent specified under (b.) which we prefer to use is the well known
ene carbon and that in any form suitable for the purpose. Lime in any form or
any other suitable agent, may be substituted for the one just mentioned. The
quantity of the reducing agent which we use is one, preferably slightly in excess
of the one theoretically necessary for the purpose of reduction. The reducing
action of the agent is, in our process, set up and maintained liy heat.
Before the salt and the reducing agent are mixed together, we prefer that each
should be reduced to a powder, both fine and dry. The grinding and drying have
each a distinct influence in facilitating the even intermixture of the two materials.
The making up into blocks (c.) is effected by any suitable method or machine.
It will be facilitated and the cohesion of the block improved, by the incorporation
with the mixture above mentioned, of any effective binding material.
The invention does not limit us in the selection of the binding material beyond
excluding every one capable of exerting a prejudicial influence upon the said
mixture in view of its purpose. Amongst those which we propose to use may be
mentioned, water; flour paste, tar, and silicate of soda.
The blocks are then carefully dried at a sufficiently low temperature to ensure
the absence of any thing like chemical reaction being set up in them.
The temperature referred to under (.) must be high enough and maintained
long enough to ensure the reduction of all the salt or salts in the blocks to their
respective metallic bases. It is conducted in a closed chamber suitable for
reducing purposes.

page_text: After the reduction above described has been effected, the blocks or as they may
now be justly termed, the alloying blocks, are taken out of the chamber and cooled.
The improved process is complete but the blocks are liable to be acted on
prejudicially by the atmosphere. They are therefore coated with wax or any other
suitable equivalent.
As soon as the coating is dry, the blocks are ready for use.
The alloying metal or metal is or are introduced into the molten mother metal
by adding the proper number of blocks according to the percentage of the said
alloying metal or metals required, in the mother metal until fusion and solution
have been effected. It should be borne in mind that it is an advantage for the
metal having the highest melting point to be the mother metal.
The resultant alloy is identical with the one made by the two stage process
before described.
The present invention is applicable to all metals that will alloy chemically. It
bas been advantageously applied to aluminium, antimony, bismuth, cadmium,
cobalt, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, nickel, osmium, phosphorus,
potassium, silver, sodium, tin, titanium, tungsten and zinc.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. The hereinbefore described improved process consisting of mixing an oxide
or a salt of the alloying metal with a reducing agent, and effecting the reduction
of the said oxide or salt to its metallic base as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The hereinbefore described process for the production of an alloying block.
3. The hereinbefore described alloying block as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The hereinbefore described improved process for effecting the alloying of one
metal or metals with another metal or with other metals.
Dated this 26th day of March 1897.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.