Improvements in the Manufacture of Refractory Materials or Articles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Refractory Materials or
Articles.
I, JOSE BAXERES ALZUGARAY, Engineer, of 20 and 71 Bishopsgate Street
Within, London, E.C., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to highly refractory and incorrodible materials or articles
for smelting fusing or reducing metals ores and the like and also for chemical
purposes. The materials may be used in the bulk or from them articles such as
crucibles or melting pots, bricks, tiles or the like may be made. One of the chief
features of this invention is the use of the materials or making of the articles in
layers or strata that which is exposed to the action of the furnace being of an
infusible nature and generally adapted to withstand the action of heat or fire while
the backing, lining or other portion not so exposed may be differently constituted.
Thus for instance in a crucible or melting pot the outside layer or stratum would
be composed of material adapted to withstand the direct action of the fire while the
inside would be particularly adapted to withstand the chemical or other action of
the metal or material placed in the pot so that the said inside or lining should not
be attacked and destroyed. In the case of a lining brick for furnaces that portion,
whether one or more sides or faces, subject to the attack of the fire would be made
of material adapted to resist it while the interior of the brick or backing of the
tilé or in short that portion which was not required to withstand the attack of the
fire could be made of some other material the choice of which would be regulated
according to the requirements of the case.
In carrying out the invention I prefer to proceed as follows:-
The stratum or portion of the article or material which is to be essentially of an
infusible and refractory character so as to withstand the action of the fire may be
composed of finely ground silica, lime, magnesia, alumina or other refractory
compound or compounds such for example as any one or more of the following ten
compositions.

page_text: The composition selected would be mixed with a suitable proportion say
ten per cent. of tar, pitch, oils, hydrocarbons, or other carbonaceous agglomerating
or cementing substance or compound and moulded into any suitable form and slowly
heated until the volatile substances were driven off so as to avoid cracks or fissures.
A compact and refractory material is thus produced the residue of the cementing
substance not driven off uniting firmly together the particles of the refractory
compound.
The inner or backing stratum may be composed of finely ground or pulverised
gas retort coke, plumbago, graphite, metallic carbon or highly infusible and
incorrodible carbon or carbon compound or other incorrodible material or com-
position. This material or compound is pulverised or otherwise reduced to a finely
divided condition and mixed with tar pitch etc. as before and as above explained
may be applied to the inner surface of a crucible as a lining or otherwise as
required the volatile matters being driven off in the same manner as explained with
reference to the exterior coating or stratum.
Dated this 30th day of December 1800
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Refractory Materials or
Articles.
I, JOSE BAXERES ALZUGARAY, Engineer, of 70 and 71 Bishopsgate Street,
Within, London, E.C., 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 highly refractory and incorrodible materials or articles
for smelting fusing or reducing metal ores and the like and also for chemical
purposes. The materials may be used in the bulk or from them articles such as
crucibles or melting pots, bricks, tiles or the like may be made. One of the chief
features of this invention is the use of the materials or making of the articles in
layers or strata that which is exposed to the action of the furnace being of an
infusible nature and generally adapted to withstand the action of heat or fire while
the backing lining or other portion not so exposed may be differently constituted.
Thus for instance in a crucible or melting pot the outside layer or stratum would be
composed of material adapted to withstand the direct action of the fire while the
inside would be particularly adapted to withstand the chemical or other action of
the metal or material placed in the pot so that the said inside or lining should not
be attacked and destroyed. In the case of a lining brick for furnaces that portion,
whether one or more sides or faces, subject to the attack of the fire would be made
of material adapted to resist it while the interior of the brick or backing of the
tile or in short that portion which was not required to withstand the attack of the
fire could be made of some other material the choice of which would be regulated
according to the requirements of the case.

page_text: In carrying out the invention I prefer to proceed as follows:-
The stratum or portion of the article or material which is to be essentially of an
infusible and refractory character so as to withstand the action of the fire may be
composed of finely ground silica, lime, magnesia, alumina or other refractory
compound or compounds such for example as any one or more of the following ten 5
compositions.

page_text: The composition selected would be mixed with a suitable proportion say
ten per cent. of tar, pitch, oils, hydrocarbons or other carbonaceous agglomerating
or cementing substance or compound and moulded into any suitable form and slowly
heated until the volatile substances were driven off so as to avoid cracks or
fissures. A compact and refractory material is thus produced the residue of the
cementing substance not driven off uniting firmly together the particles of the
refractory compound.
The inner or backing stratum may be composed of finely ground or pulverised
gas retort coke, plumbago, graphite, metallic carbon or highly infusible and
incorrodible carbon or carbon compound or other incorrodible material or
composition.
This material or compound is pulverised or otherwise reduced to a finely divided
condition and mixed with tar, pitch etc. as before and as above explained may be
applied to the inner surfaces of a crucible as a lining or otherwise as required the
volatile matters being driven off in the same manner as explained with reference to
the exterior coating or stratum.
In the case of linings or interiors the lining or face may be selected with
particular regard to its chemical action upon the material which is being dealt with
thus for example producing the effects of the basic or acid processes common in
steel refining.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate two ways of carrying this invention into effect; these
views are sections of a portion of the wall of a crucible, furnace, retort, pipe, vat,

page_text: or other apparatus or lining thereof, the shape, size or particular construction of
which is immaterial to the application of the present invention.
As an example take Fig. 1 as representing a portion of the wall of a crucible
for the smelting of ores or refining of steel; the whole wall A is here divided into
two strata or layers, the outer one B of which is made of some good refractory
material particularly adapted to withstand the action of the furnace, while the
inner one C is made of plumbago, coke or some suitable form of consolidated carbon
specially adapted to withstand the chemical and mechanical destructive actions to
which it will be exposed. A crucible so constructed will last much longer than
one of ordinary construction and will produce superior metal on account of the
absence of the chemical action usually set up and not always of a desirable nature.
Or if so required this lining C may be made of some basic, acid or other material
or agent capable of combining with or producing certain effects upon the material
with which it comes in contact.
In Fig. 2 the principle of construction observed is precisely similar, the layers B
and being selected for similar reasons to those set forth above; the only difference
is that in this case a third stratum or layer D is employed either for a specific
purpose as when the layers B and C being selected to suit the exigencies of the
particular conditions under which they are to be employed happen to be mutually
destructive of each other and must therefore be separated by a neutral zone or
stratum such as D-or merely for such subsidiary purposes as to save expense by
employing for the protected and therefore non-attackable parts a cheaper material
than can be used for either of the exposed portions B or C, to obtain increased bulk
inexpensively, or to strengthen the whole structure by employing in the protected
interior a material which could not safely be employed for either of the exposed
surfaces. The actual or relative thicknesses of any of the layers or strata may be
varied as required.
More than three layers or strata would seldom if ever be required but it will be
understood that so long as the exposed portion or portions such as B or C are
selected in accordance with the principles of this invention, it is of little consequence
of what the intervening portion if any is composed.
The layers B and C may be united together in any suitable manner, as for
example by adhesive material between them, or by pressure, or they may be distinct
strata never united by more than contact at the line of junction, or they may have
no distinct line of demarcation the two materials intercalating and mixing with each
other. On the other hand it is not absolutely essential for the carrying out of this
invention that the two parts B and C should be united at all; nevertheless it is
preferable that they should be so.
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 method of enabling a crucible furnace lining or other article or apparatus
as set forth to withstand the various kinds of attacks to which it is to be exposed
and which consists in stratifying it or providing it with coatings or faces of materials
of different qualities each adapted to withstand the particular attack to which it will
be subjected substantially as described.
2. The method of enabling a crucible furnace lining or other article or apparatus
as set forth to withstand on the one hand the attacks to which it is to be exposed
and to effect upon the other hand chemical action or combination with the materials
with which it comes in contact and which consists in stratifying or providing it with
coatings or faces of materials of different qualities adapted to withstand the particula
attack to which it will be subjected and to produce the particular effect required
substantially as described.
3. A crucible or other article constructed in strata or layers substantially as and
for the purpose described.
4. A crucible furnace lining or other article or apparatus as set forth having its

page_text: walls composed of more than one layer or stratum whereby the outer and inner faces
are adapted to withstand the particular destructive actions to which they are to
be subjected substantially as specified.
5. A crucible furnace lining or other article or apparatus as set forth having
its walls composed of more than one layer or stratum whereby while one face is
adapted to withstand the particular destructive action to which it is to be subjected
the other face is adapted to effect the desired chemical action or combination sub-
stantially as specified.
6. A crucible furnace lining or other article or apparatus as set forth composed
of a body or layer of a material which need not be adapted to withstand the attacks
to which the inner and outer surfaces are exposed and covered upon that portion
which is to be exposed to the furnace with material adapted to withstand the action
of the heated gases and flames and upon that portion which is to be exposed to the
chemical and mechanical action of the metal or material to be melted or reduced
with a coating of material adapted to withstand such action substantially as
specified.
7. The manufacture of an infusible or refractory composition by mixing the
ingredients with tar pitch hydrocarbon or other oils or other carbonaceous
agglomerating or cementing substance or compound and driving off by slow heat
the volatile constituents substantially as and for the purpose described.
8. The manufacture of an infusible or refractory composition by mixing the
ingredients with a carbonaceous agglomerating substance or compound moulding
to the required shape and driving off the volatile constituents by slow heat substan-
tially as described.
9. The material of an infusible or refractory character substantially as described
in each of the ten accompanying formulæ.
Dated this 11th day of October 1891.