Improvements in the Electrolytic Manufacture of Ferro-manganese, Ferro-chrome, Ferro-aluminium, Ferro-nickel, and other Alloys having an Iron Base.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 3rd July, 1896-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1896
Improvements in the Electrolytic Manufacture of Ferro-manganese,
Ferro-chrome, Ferro-aluminium, Ferro-nickel, and other Alloys
having an Iron Base.
I, JOSEPH HEIBLING, of 72 Rue de l'Abbe Grégaire, Grenoble (Isère) in the
Republic of France, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved process and apparatus for the manufacture
by the aid of electricity of alloys containing iron with the assistance of a flux
consisting of lime which becomes carburet of calcium and silicon.
This process may be carried out in any suitable apparatus, but the following
arrangement is preferred:
A cylindrical, or partly cylindrical, and partly conical furnace is constructed
inside of carbon and outside of fire bricks, and it is provided at its bottom with a
movable bed-plate, preferably of fusible cast iron intended to be melted during the
operation resting upon another bed-plate, which is also movable, and is constructed
of carbon bricks. What I term a carbon brick is obtained by baking in closed
cast iron moulds a suitable mixture of pulverised coke, plumbago, and tar.
This furnace acts as a negative electrode.
The positive electrode consists of a bar of carbon, the size of which is pro-
portionate to the depth of the furnace, and to the electrical energy brought
into play.
In this furnace I treat electrically a powdered mixture of the ore (or oxide)
to be treated, with as many atoms of carbon as there are atoms of oxygen in
the ore.
As a flux, I incorporate into the mixture a variable quantity of quicklime
reduced to powder together with at least three atoms of carbon to every molecule
of lime.
If the conditions of the nature of the bed or vein of the ore in question admit
of it, I also incorporate in the mixture the required quantity (by weight) of an
oxide of iron, together with the quantity of carbon which is necessary for its
reduction, so as to obtain the required alloy, mixed in predetermined proportions,
whilst duly taking into account the weight of the cast iron bed-plate.
In order partly to eliminate the silicon if there be any quantity of it in excess
of the normal amount, I super-add to the mixture a certain proportion of powdered
fluor spar (fluoride of calcium, CaF2).
Under the action of an electric current, the following chemical reactions will
take place:
(1.) The reduction of the ore and oxide of iron (if necessary) and the formation
of an alloy containing iron;
(2.) The solution of carbon in the alloy containing iron;
(3.) The simultaneous reduction of lime into calcium and oxide of carbon, and,
(4.) Carburation of calcium, or its conversion into calcium carburet through the
mutual action of calcium and carbon dissolved in the iron alloy.
As a final result of the operation, I obtain an iron alloy, the proportions of which
may have been exactly calculated beforehand, in preparing the mixture. The

page_text: residue is liquid and is covered over by slag consisting of carburetted calcium
which contains the remainder of silica in solution in the form of carburetted
silicon.
For the discharge, the movable carbon bed-plate is lowered on one side by means
of suitable mechanism. The presence of carburetted silicon renders the carburetted
calcium more proof against decomposition than it would otherwise be under the
action of damp air. The presence of a surplus of silica is an objectionable
feature, which should be avoided.
This process enables very poor ores to be treated with advantage, such for
example, as calcareous ores, containing manganese, which are found at Lias, in the
Jura Mountains, and in the locality known as Cretace.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in the Electrolytic Manufacture of Ferro-manganese,
Ferro-chrome, Ferro-aluminium, Ferro-nickel, and other Alloys
having an Iron Base.
I, JOSEPH HEIBLING of 72 Rue de l'Abbe Grégaire, Grenoble (Isère) in the
Republic of France Engineer, 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 relates to an improved process and apparatus for the manufacture
by the aid of electricity of alloys containing iron with the assistance of a flux
consisting of lime which bec mes carburet of calcium and silicon.
This process may be carried out in any suitable apparatus, but the following
arrangement shewn in vertical section in the accompanying drawing is preferred.
A cylindrical, or partly cylindrical, and partly conical furnace is constructed
with fire bricks externally such as A with a lining of carbon such as B, and it is
provided at its bottom with a movable bed plate preferably of fusible cast iron
intended to be melted during the operation, resting upon another bed plate E,
which is also movable, and is constructed of carbon bricks. What I term a carbon
brick is obtained by baking in closed cast iron moulds a suitable mixture of
pulverised coke, plumbago, and tar.
This furnace acts as a negative electrode.
The positive electrode consists of a bar C of carbon, the size of which is pro-
portionate to the depth of the furnace, and to the electrical energy, brought
into play.
In this furnace I treat electrically a powdered mixture of the ore (oxide) to be
treated, with as many atoms of carbon as there are atoms of oxygen in the ore.
As a flux. I incorporate into the mixture a variable quantity of quicklime
reduced to powder together with at least three atoms of carbon to every molecule
of lime.
If the conditions of the nature of the bed or vein of the ore in question admit
of it, I also incorporate in the mixture the required quantity (by weight) of an
oxide of iron, together with the quantity of carbon which is necessary for its
reduction, so as to obtain the required alloy, mixed in predetermined proportions,
whilst duly taking into account the weight of the cast iron bed-plate.
In order partly to eliminate the silicon if there be any quantity of it in excess of
the normal amount, I superadd to the mixture a certain proportion of powdered
Aluor spar (fluoride of calcium, CaF³).

page_text: Under the action of an electric current the following chemical reactions will
take place:
:-
(1.) The reduction of the ore and oxide of iron (if required) and the formation
of an alloy containing iron;
(2.) The solution of carbon in the alloy containing iron;
(3.) The simultaneous reduction of lime into calcium and oxide of carbon, and,
(4.) The carburation of the calcium, or its conversion into calcium carburet
through the mutual action of calcium and carbon dissolved in the iron alloy.
As a final result of the operation, I obtain an iron alloy, the proportions of
which may have been exactly calculated beforehand, in preparing the mixture.
The residue is liquid and is covered over by slag consisting of carburetted calcium
which contains the remainder of silica in solution in the form of carburetted
silicon.
For the discharge of the contents of the furnace, the movable carbon bed-plate
is lowered on one side by means of suitable mechanism. The presence of
carburetted silicon renders the carburetted calcium more proof against decomposi-
tion than it would otherwise be, under the action of damp air. The presence of a
surplus of silica is an objectionable feature, which should be avoided.
This process enables very poor ores to be treated with advantage—such, for
example, as calcareous ores, containing manganese, which are found at Lias, in the
Jura Mountains, and in the locality known as Cretace.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The manufacture by means of electricity of alloys containing iron through the
medium of carbon and of a lime flux capable of becoming carburetted calcium and
silicon substantially as described.
2. As a means of practically carrying out the process claimed in the first claim,
the employment of a carbon furnace with a movable bed plate preferably of fusible
cast iron, in which is treated by electricity a mixture prepared in suitable pro-
portions, of ore (oxide), of carbon, and of lime employed as a flux, with or without
the addition (as the case may be) of an oxide of iron or of fluor spar substantially
as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 3rd day of July 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.