Improvements in the Manufacture of Alloys of Nickel with other Metals.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 12th July, 1890-Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Alloys of Nickel with
other Metals.
I, HENRY MARBEAU of 10 Rue de Louvois, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the manufacture or preparation of the binary alloys of nickel and iron known as
ferro-nickel and steel-nickel the Company or Society "Le Ferro Nickel" of Paris
(who have successfully produced these alloys on a commercial scale) have hitherto
employed either metallic or pure nickel, or the crude nickel or nickel matts derived
from the smelting or treatment of oxidized nickel ores carried on only up to the point
where the elimination of the iron would begin.
Pure or metallic nickel is, however, a costly metal because of the operations neces-
sary to eliminate sulphur, silicium and other impurities. On the other hand crude
nickel or nickel matts contain a considerable proportion of foreign substances the
presence of which in the manufacture of ferro-nickel or steel-nickel is not desirable.
Now the present invention consists in the manufacture and in the employment for the
production of ferro-nickel or steel-nickel, of a carburetted alloy containing nickel, iron,
and manganese obtained by the reduction of a suitable mixture of oxidized, nickel
ores with iron ores and manganese ores, the reduction being preferably effected:
in a blast furnace.
This alloy containing nickel, iron and manganese, which may appropriately be
called nickelo-spiegel, is cheaper than pure or metallic nickel while it is purer and
less mixed with foreign substances than crude nickel or nickel matts. It is also.
better adapted than the pure metal or the crude nickel or nickel matts either for direct
transformation into ferro-nickel or steel-nickel containing any desired percentage of
nickel, or for use as an addition for transforming cast iron, iron or steel into alloys of
iron and nickel more or less rich in carbon and in nickel.
In the preparation of the nickelo-spiegel or alloy of nickel, iron and manganese an
important proportion of manganese is employed. Very basic slags are thus obtained
which are, however, very fusible. The total reduction of the nickel contained in the
ores is thus ensured; the charge or batch is moreover calculated so that the sulphur,
and silicium become completely removed.
The relative proportions of the nickel ores, iron ores and manganese ores will vary
according to the percentage of the three metals required in the carburetted alloy. The
following may be given as an example.
Nickel ores (10 per cent. nickel)
Iron ores (50
""
"
iron)
->
-
Manganesiferous iron ores (10 per cent. manganese and
40 per cent. iron)
-
-
2 tons.
-
12 cwt.
1 ton.
In the employment of nickelo-spiegel for the production of ferro-nickel or steel-
nickel the nickelo-spiegel can be treated directly in a converter so as to obtain a steel-
nickel or ferro-nickel containing the required percentage of nickel. The presence of
an excess of manganese in the nickelo-spiegel permits of obtaining the heat necessary
for the good working of the operation, in the absence of silicium.
Or the nickelo-spiegel can be treated directly in an open hearth furnace so as to .
produce a steel-nickel containing the required percentage of nickel. The refining
is obtained by the addition of iron or steel scrap or iron ore.
Or the nickelo-spiegel can be treated in an open hearth furnace, just as for making
ordinary steel, by starting with a mixture of nickelo-spiegel and cast iron and
scrap

page_text: Or the nickelo-spiegel is added to a bath or melt of ordinary steel either in an oper
hearth furnace or in a converter. The nickelo-spiegel will be added either melted or
simply heated to redness either in lumps or pulverized. The addition will preferably
be made when the desired decarburation has been attained so as to avoid a subsequent
oxidation of the manganese.
In the two last described methods of employing nickelo-spiegel for the production
of ferro-nickel or steel-nickel, any insufficiency of manganese can be corrected by
additions of spiegeleisen, or ferro-manganese or metallic manganese, and complete
deoxidation can be effected by a final addition of aluminiam or ferro-aluminium.
Dated this 16th day of October 1889.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in the Manufacture of Alloys of Nickel with
other Metals.
I, HENRY MARBEAU of 10 Rue de Louvois, Paris, 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 :-
In the manufacture or preparation of the binary alloys of nickel and iron known
as ferro-nickel and steel-nickel the Company or Society "Le Ferro-Nickel" of
Paris (who have successfully produced these alloys on a commercial scale) have
hitherto employed either metallic or pure nickel or the crude nickel or nickel
matts derived from the smelting or treatment of oxidized nickel ores carried on only
up to the point where the elimination of the iron would begin.
Pure or metallic nickel is, however, a costly metal because of the operations
necessary to eliminate sulphur, silicium and other impurities. On the other hand
crude nickel or nickel matts contain a considerable proportion of foreign sub-
stances the presence of which in the manufacture of ferro-nickel or steel-nickel is
not desirable.
Now the present invention consists in the manufacture and in the employment for
the production of ferro-nickel or steel-nickel, of a carburetted alloy containing nickel,
iron and manganese obtained by the reduction of a suitable mixture of oxidized nickel
ores with iron ores and manganese ores, the reduction being preferably effected in a
blast furnace.
This alloy containing nickel, iron and manganese, which may appropriately be called
nickelo-spiegel, is cheaper than pure or metallic nickel while it is purer and less mixed
with foreign substances than crude nickel or nickel matts. It is also better adapted
than the pure metal or the crude nickel or nickle matts either for direct transformation
into ferro-nickel or steel-nickel containing any desired percentage of nickel, or for use
as an addition for transforming cast iron, iron or steel into alloys of iron and nickel
more or less rich in carbon and in nickel.
In the preparation of the nickelo-spiegel or alloy of nickel, iron and manganese, an
important proportion of manganese is employed. Very basic slags are thus obtained,
which are, however, very fusible. The total reduction of the nickel contained in the
ores is thus insured; the charge or bath is moreover calculated so that the sulphur
and silicium become completely removed.
The relative proportions of the nickel ores, iron ores and manganese ores will vary
according to the percentage of the three metals required in the carburetted alloy. The
following may be given as one example
1
Nickel ores (10 per cent. nickel)
Iron ores (50 per cent. iron) -
Manganesiferous iron ores (10 per cent. manganese and
2 tons.
-
12 cwt.
1 ton.

page_text: In the employment of nickelo-spiegel for the production of ferro-nickel or steel-
nickel the nickelo-spiegel can be treated directly in a converter so as to obtain a steel-
nickel or ferro-nickel containing the required percentage of nickel. The presence of
an excess of manganese in the nickelo-spiegel permits of obtaining the heat necessary
for the good working of the operation, in the absence of silicium.
Or the nickelo-spiegel can be treated directly in an open hearth furnace so as
to produce a steel-nickel containing the required percentage of nickel. The refining
is obtained by the addition of iron or steel scrap or iron ore.
Or the nickelo-spiegel can be treated in an open hearth furnace just as for
making ordinary steel, by starting with a mixture of nickelo-spiegel and cast iron
and scrap.
Or the nickelo-spiegel is added to a bath or melt of ordinary steel either in an open
hearth furnace or in a converter. The nickelo-spiegel will be added either melted or
simply beated to redness either in lumps or pulverized. The addition will preferably
be made when the desired decarburation has been attained so as to avoid a subsequent
oxidation of the manganese.
In the two last described methods of employing nickelo-spiegel for the production
of ferro-nickel or steel-nickel any insufficiency of manganese can be corrected
by additions of spiegeleisen, or ferro-manganese or metallic manganese, and
complete deoxidation can be effected by a final addition of aluminium or ferro-
aluminium.
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 of an alloy containing nickel, iron and manganese and herein-
before called nickelo-spiegel, by the reduction of a suitable mixture of oxidized nickel
ores with iron ores and manganese ores, substantially as set forth.
2. The employment in the manufacture of ferro-nickels or steel-nickels of the alloy
herein before called rickelo-spiegel, substantially as set forth.
3. The process or method hereinbefore described of manufacturing ferro-nickels or
steel-nickels, which consists in first making the alloy hereinbefore called nickelo-
spiegel, and in then employing or treating this alloy so as to produce a ferro-nickel
or steel-nickel, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 12th day of July 1890.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.