A Process for Decarburating Steel or other Compounds of Iron and Carbon.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 27th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 9th Apr., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Process for Decarburating Steel or other Compounds of Iron
and Carbon.
We, BENJAMIN HOWARTH THWAITE, of 20, Great George Street, Westminster,
in the County of London, Civil Engineer, and HENRY VINCENT HOLDEN, of 24,
Coleman Street, in the City of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to a process for removing the carbon or part of it from
steel or other compounds of iron and carbon, as for instance, in the case of an
armour plate made of hard steel, when it is required to soften the metal at the
back for some depth.
For this purpose we subject the piece to be decarburated or the surface where
partial decarburation is desired, to the action of carbon dioxide at a suitable high
temperature, this gas taking up carbon from the steel so as to become itself converted
into carbon monoxide, which being combustible can be employed for heating
purposes generally. In order to maintain a supply of the carbon dioxide we employ
a portion of the carbon monoxide along with oxygen to supply an internal com-
bustion engine, thus producing motive power, and as the result of the combustion,
carbon dioxide available for decarburating. When the carbon monoxide is
employed in this way we mix it not with air, but with oxygen in order to avoid
the great dilution with nitrogen which takes place when air is used in making
the combustible mixture.
The carbon dioxide is collected in a suitable gas holder and heated before acting
on the steel, preferably by passing it through the alternating chambers of a
regenerating furnace.
The carbon monoxide coming from the decarburating furnace may be partially
cooled by passing through the regenerating chambers, heating them, and may
be farther cooled by any known means before being collected in a holder for the
supply of the internal combustion engine or other apparatus in which the heat
of its combustion is utilised. The oxygen may be generated in any known manner
and collected in a holder from which the engine is supplied.
The steel to be decarburated, if it is to be acted on all over, is enclosed in a
muffle or other suitable casing to which the carbon dioxide is supplied, and from
which the monoxide is withdrawn.
When only one side of the steel is to be decarburated that side is cased over
and this casing has the dioxide supplied to it and the monoxide withdrawn from it.
Dated this 30th day of April 1897.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: A Process for Decarburating Steel or other Compounds of Iron
and Carbon.
We, BENJAMIN HOWARTH THWAITE, of 20, Great George Street, Westminster,
in the County of London, Civil Engineer, and HENRY VINCENT HOLDEN, of 24,
Coleman Street, in the City of London, 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 for removing the carbon or part of it from
steel or other compounds of iron and carbon, as for instance in the case of an
armour plate made of hard steel, when it is required to soften the metal at the
back for some depth.
For this purpose we subject the piece to be decarburated, or the surface where
partial decarburation is desired, to the action of carbon dioxide at a suitable high
temperature, which may be about a bright red heat, this gas taking up carbon
from the metal and thus becoming more or less converted into carbon monoxide,
which, being combustible can be utilised as fuel for heating purposes.
The carbon dioxide may be obtained in any known way and collected in a
suitable gas holder, and heated by passing it through chambers like those of a
Tegenerative gas furnace.
The metal to be decarburated if it is to be acted on all over, is enclosed in a
muffle or other suitable casing or chamber heated to the required temperature
and supplied with the heated carbon dioxide, while the carbon monoxide is dis-
charged. When only one side of the metal, as in the case of an armour plate is
to be decarburated, that side is cased over and the casing has the carbon dioxide
supplied to it and the monoxide discharged from it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
The herein described process for decarburating steel or other compounds of
iron and carbon by subjecting at high temperature to the action of carbon
dioxide.
.
1000
D
Date HS ST
day of January 1898.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.