Improvements in the Manufacture of Alloys.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Alloys.
1, ERNEST AUGUSTE GEORGES STREET of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais Paris, in
the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to a process enabling solid metallic chromium or solid
alloys of chromium and such metals as molybdenum, tungsten, uranium, or the
like, to be introduced, in the required proportions, into melted or fused masses of
diverse metals or alloys, and to be incorporated in such masses by dissolution or
fusion, the chromium and the metals alloyed therewith. being chemically pure, they
having been obtained (for example) by electrolytic decomposition.
Alloys similar to those above referred to have been heretofore prepared but in
all the attempts made to that end, the chromium, molybdenum, and the like have
been employed, not in a chemically pure state, but in combination with other
bodies. Thus, aluminium and tungsten alloy has been prepared by heating a
mixture of WO,Al with cryolite, chloride of sodium and chloride of potassium.
Also, alloys of the carburets of the metals specified above have been prepared by
the direct addition of such carburets. The alloys thus produced, however, have
proved brittle and incapable of being worked.
The object of this invention is to obtain alloys of the above mentioned metals by
the direct addition of the said metals or alloys in the solid state, and in the required
proportions, to the fused metal or metals that are to form the other ingredient or
ingredients of the alloys to be obtained, and by incorporating them in such fused
metal or metals by dissolving them therein.
Numerous experiments, made with this object in view, have shown that this
method of operation is attended with somewhat serious difficulties owing to the
peculiar distinguishing features or properties which the chromium group or series
of metals exhibit when pure, viz., a high melting point and a low point of oxidation,
in view of which characteristics the process, when adopted in the treatment of
ferric carburets, or of compounds of such carburets, has been, for practical purposes,
unavailable.
Thus, for example, where fragments of metallic chromium have been added to a
fused mass of aluminium, they were found intact at the bottom of the lump or
ingot obtained, being protected therein by a thin layer of oxide of chromium
which counteracted, or checked, the dissolving action of the metallic aluminium,
even when the incandescence was prolonged. Similar results are obtained if
aluminium and chromium be heated with cryolite and chloride of sodium, or if
melted aluminium be poured over fragments of chromium placed in a crucible.
I have found that the pure metals or alloys of pure metals enumerated above may
be dissolved if the fragments of metal be covered with a protecting layer or coating
adapted to prevent the oxidation of their surfaces when they come into contact
with the fused metals.
In accordance with the present invention, I form a protective coating of melted
cryolite and borax, or other flux of which the boiling point is sufficiently high,
and I incorporate the chromium or other similar metal with the flux prior to
bringing it into contact with the fused metal. I may, for example, drop fragments

page_text: of chromium into a crucible containing a quantity of melted cryolite sufficient to
cover the chromium. The oxide formed, if any, is dissolved by the flux so that
on adding melted aluminium, either immediately after this, or after allowing the
flux to solidify, a sufficiently close contact is brought about between the chromium
and aluminium, to dissolve the former.
Or I may place the foreign metal, or the alloy together with the flux, into the
fused metal.
A third method would consist in adding borax, cryolite, cryolite and chloride of
sodium, fluor-spar, or other suitable flux, to the fused metal, so as to cause
the flux to float on the surface of such metal, as a layer of liquid. The
fragments of foreign metal, or of the alloy, are dropped into the molten mass,
and are protected from oxidation the moment they touch the fused metal. The
thickness of the layer of flux must be determined according to the size of the
fragments or lumps of metal added.
The above described operations may be carried out in crucibles lined or unlined
according as the alloy is or is not required to be protected from the impurities of
the material of which the crucible is made. As a preferable material for the
lining I may suggest aluminium or one containing chromic or similar oxides.
Dated this 6th day of June 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
I, ERNEST AUGUSTE GEORGES STREET, of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais 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:-
This invention relates to a process enabling solid metallic chromium, or solid
alloys of chromium and such metals as molybdenum, tungsten, uranium, or the like,
to be introduced in the required proportions, into melted or fused masses of diverse
metals or alloys, and to be incorporated in such masses by dissolution or fusion;
the chromium and the metals alloyed therewith, being chemically pure, they having
been obtained (for example) by electrolytic decomposition.
Alloys similar to those herein referred to have been heretofore prepared, but in
all the attempts made to that end, the chromium, molybdenum, and the like have
been employed, not in a chemically pure state, but in combination with other
bodies. Thus, aluminium and tungsten alloy has been prepared by beating a
mixture of WO,Al with cryolite, chloride of sodium and chloride of potassium.
Also, alloys of the carburets of the metals specified above have been prepared by
the direct addition of such carburets. The alloys thus produced, however, have
proved brittle and incapable of being worked.
The object of this invention is to obtain alloys of the above mentioned metals by
the direct addition of the said metals or alloys in the solid state, and in the
required proportions, to the fused metal or metals that are to form the other
ingredient or ingredients of the alloys to be obtained, and by incorporating them
in such fused metal or metals by dissolving them therein.
Numerous experiments, made with this object in view, have shown that this
method of operation is attended with somewhat serious difficulties owing to the
peculiar distinguishing features or properties which the chromium group or series
of metals exhibit when pure, viz., a high melting point and a low point of oxidation,

page_text: n view of which characteristics the process, when adopted in the treatment of ferric
carburets, or of compounds of such carburets, has been, for practical purposes,
navailable.
Thus, for example, where fragments of metallic chromium have been added to a
fused mass of aluminium, they were found intact at the bottom of the lump or
ingot obtained, being protected therein by a thin layer of oxide of chromium
which counteracted, or checked, the dissolving action of the metallic aluminium,
even when the incandescence was prolonged. Similar results are obtained if
aluminium and chromium be heated with cryolite and chloride of sodium, or if
melted aluminium be poured over fragments of chromium placed in a crucible.
I have found that the pure metals or alloys of pure metals enumerated above
may be dissolved if the fragments of metal be covered with a protecting layer or
coating adapted to prevent the oxidation of their surfaces when they come
into contact with the fused metals.
In accordance with the present invention, I form a protective coating of melted
cryolite and borax, or other flux of which the boiling point is sufficiently high, and
I incorporate the chromium or other similar metal with the flux prior to bringing
it into contact with the fused metal. I may, for example, drop fragments of
chromium into a crucible containing a quantity of melted cryolite sufficient to cover
the chromium. The oxide formed, if any, is dissolved by the flux so that on adding
melted aluminium, either immediately after this, or after allowing the flux to
solidify, a sufficiently close contact is brought about between the chromium and
aluminium, to dissolve the former.
Or I may place the foreign metal, or the alloy, together with the flux, into the
fused metal.
A third method would consist in adding borax, cryolite, cryolite and chloride of
sodium, fluor-spar, or other suitable flux, to the fused metal, so as to cause the flux
to float on the surface of such metal, as a layer of liquid. The fragments of foreign
metal, or of the alloy are dropped into the molten mass, and are protected from
oxidation the moment they touch the fused metal. The thickness of the layer of
flux must be determined according to the size of the fragments or lumps of metal
added.
The above described operations may be carried out in crucibles lined or unlined
according as the alloy is or is not required to be protected from the impurities of
the material of which the crucible is made. The linings used may contain chromic
or similar oxides or 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
With a view to the manufacture of alloys, the process hereinabove described for
the introduction into, and incorporation in, any desired metals,-by fusion,-of
chrome, molybdenum, tungsten and uranium, in a chemically pure state, or of
alloys of such metals; such process consisting in protecting the chrome,
molybdenum, tungsten, uranium, and the alloys thereof, from oxidation, the
5 moment they are introduced into the fused metals, by means of a flux (such as
borax or cryolite), which will completely surround the metals, so as to protect them
from contact with air and also to eliminate any small amount of oxide that might
have formed; the flux being utilized by any one of the following methods :-
(1) By arranging the desired quantities of chrome aud the like at the bottom of
O the crucible and dropping thereon the requisite amount of flux so as entirely to
cover the metal and then-without removing the mixture from the crucible-adding
thereto the required quantity of metal to be alloyed, the flux having in the mean-
time become fluid by the action of the heat and now completely covering the metals
which it is desired to protect from oxidation.
5
(2) By first covering the metals to be protected from oxidation (such as chrome

page_text: and the like) with a layer of flux, re-solidified by cooling, and then introducing the
"chrome and the like, thus protected, into the melted metal.
(3) By melting, in the first place, the metal to be alloyed (such as iron, aluminium
and the like) and covering it, after it has melted,-with a layer of any suitable
flux; aud by then adding chrome and the like to the metal thus covered with flux;
the said chrome and the like being protected (from oxidation) the moment it comes
in contact with the layer of flux.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.