The Production of Alloys of Copper with Iron or Steel and another Metal.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 26th July, 1899-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
The Production of Alloys of Copper with Iron or Steel and another
Metal.
I, LEON QUENTIN BRIN, of 6. Rue Wilhem, Paris, France, Engineer, do herehv
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This Invention relates to a process of obtaining alloys of copper with wrought or
cast iron or steel in variable proportions, such new alloys or composite metals being
susceptible of indefinitely varied application.
I have observed that the presence of aluminium promotes the alloying of iron with
copper, and it is upon this observed fact that my present invention is based.
My Invention consists broadly in effecting the alloy of iron (including in this term
iron in all its varieties or forms, e.g. wrought iron, cast iron, and steel etc.) with copper
by bringing the metals to be alloyed into presence of each other and of aluminium
at a proper temperature and in any suitable manner.
The particular method of carrying out the process may be varied without departing
from the invention, but in practice I prefer to employ for the production of the new
copper-iron alloy, the aluminium-iron obtained according to one of the processes for
which I have already made application for Letters Patent.
It is only necessary to melt this aluminium-iron-alloy and to add sheet or granulated
copper in order to obtain the tri-metallic alloy, copper-iron-aluminium.
Or, I may employ the iron-aluminium alloy produced according to another process
for which I have previously applied for Letters Patent, which process consists in the
treating iron in a furnace with aluminous matters with the addition of borax. By
adding sheet or granulated copper to the above mentioned mass, I am enabled to
obtain directly in the furnace, the tri-metallic alloy of iron-copper-aluminium.
The relative proportions of the copper, the iron, and the aluminium, may be varied
and the alloy may contain any other metals, with a view to modify its qualities,
according to the use to which it is to be put.
Dated this 26th day of September 1888.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION."
The Production of Alloys of Copper with Iron or Steel and another
Metal.
I, LÉON QUENTIN BRIN, of 6, Rue Wilhem, Auteuil, Paris, 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 a process of obtaining alloys of copper with iron or steel
and aluminium in certain proportions variable according to the intended use of the
product.
I have observed that the presence of aluminium (whether previously alloyed or
not with the iron or even with the copper) promotes the alloying of iron with copper,
and it is upon this observed fact that my present invention is based.
My Invention consists broadly in effecting the alloying of iron (including in this
term, iron in all its varieties or forms e.g. wrought-iron, cast-iron, and steel) with

page_text: copper, by bringing the metals to be alloyed into the presence of each other and of
aluminium at a proper temperature.
In carrying my process into effect, I may take wrought-iron, cast-iron, or steel, and
alloy it with aluminium preferably by one or other of the processes forming the
subject of previous Letters Patent respectively dated March 7th 1888, (No. 3549.)
June 14th 1888, (No. 8746,) and June 14th 1888, (No. 8747,) or I may take an
aluminium-iron alloy obtained by any other known process, but the processes above
specifically referred to are preferred on the score of economy.
By melting together the aluminium-iron alloy and copper in definite proportions
the tri-metallic alloy copper-iron-aluminium may be obtained, but in order to avoid
loss of metal by oxidation it is in practice desirable to perform the melting operation
in an atmosphere of aluminium chloride vapors or in the presence of a mixture
yielding vapors of aluminium chloride and acting as a flux such as already described
in the specifications of the patents already referred to.
The relative proportions of the copper, iron, and aluminium may be varied, and I
have in practice obtained alloys by melting together the metals in the various pro-
portions hereafter mentioned, viz.:
It will be understood that the above mentioned proportions are instanced only as
examples of what I have actually obtained in practice, and that I do not in any way
limit myself to any particular proportions as the alloy may be produced even though 40
but a very small trace of aluminium be present.
อ

page_text: It may be observed that these alloys increase in hardness and toughness from No.
to No. 10, with the exception of No. 9 which is unstable the proportion of aluminium
being insufficient.
It will also be evident that other metals might be added to the alloy, in order to
modify its qualities, according to the use to which it is to be put.
The process which I prefer for making the aluminium-iron alloy is to take cast-iron
broken in small pieces placed in a crucible and covered with a source of aluminium
noting also as a Any consisting of
Bauxite
Common Salt
Borax
4 parts
6
and
"
1 part
up
mixed dry. The iron is melted in the presence of the mixture and takes therefrom
a proportion of aluminium, varying according to the length of time it is exposed in
the melted condition to contact with the mixture. .I find that the proportion of
aluminium so taken up may vary from 5 of one part to 1-5 part per cent. in the course
of two or three hours heating. Having ascertained the proportion of aluminium
taken up, I add the indefinite ferro-aluminium thus produced to iron in proper pro-
portions to produce the definite alloy of aliminium and iron required, and remelt
either alone or with the copper.
If the proportion of aluminium in the tri-metallic alloy so produced is not sufficient
it should be remelted and the proportion of aluminium increased, in either of the
following ways; If the remelting he performed in a crucible, it is preferable to use a
mixture containing bauxite, such as above described, in sufficient quantity to cover the
molten metal, the quantity of additional aluminium taken up from the mixture depending
upon the temperature and the length of time for which the molten alloy is exposed to
contact with the mixture. Definite proportions can only be obtained by practice. If the
remelting be performed in a furnace such as the Siemens-Martin (which I prefer to
use when steel or wrought iron are to be alloyed) a flux consisting only of borax or
soda or of either of these with common salt may be used and the aluminium may, in
that case, be supplied by means of vapors of aluminium-chloride generated in a
separate retort and passed into the furnace either by being forced through, or otherwise
brought in contact with, the molten alloy therein. These vapors are generated either
by sublimating chloride of aluminium or, when chloride of aluminium is not used, a
mixture consisting of

page_text: 3. As a new article of manufacture, a tri-metallic alloy consisting of copper-iron-
aluminium, substantially as specified.
Dated this Twente sixth day of July 1880
LÉON QUENTIN BRIN.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.