The Iron Age 1914-06-04: Vol 93 Iss 23

il VAVUUVADUAALATU UDA ETA DUAEDU EEA VULUUEERRDUUUUDDRL EER EREROGRORDE DORE RED OGENE werent THANUUREEELTLUTELLN iat Established 1855 TUDULDAU EEE Cost Keeping in a Jobbing Foundry New York, June 4, 1914 A System Planned so That Heavy and ‘ Light Castings Shall Division of the Nor [he principal difficulty experienced | he ave age foundry making both light and heavy . is the proper division of the non-productive ek ment. In other words, large heavy castings or fl work cost a great deal less to clean per pound tl the same tonnage in light castings or bencl r} Now it certainly is not fair that the heavier c] of work should carry the same non-productive den. How this may be properly proportioned is « of the important objects of this article. 1 In the majority of jobbing foundries it has beer B ti I M I M H I H i Pa : Cast V Prod | M , rin) >. Zit > »~}*s * M sound that the molders average 742 hr. actuall molding or producing in the 9-hr. day, the remain der « Cons he is heir time, 11 hr., being used in pouring-of ‘or which he is being paid. Multiply his rate of 40 cents hour by six-fifths and we have 48 cents per hour, which is the proper rate to use for h molding or actual producing time, and the cost clerk does not have to worry as to how he will spl up the pouring time. m such a record as given in table 1, we fer, Foundries Department, George F. She lin Mfg Saratoga Springs, N. Y r. ler a molder with a rate of 40 cents per hour tually producing but five-sixths of the time Carr\ . tT} n-Productive e yO)) } er Klement Vol. 93: No. the hei its proportionate snare han its share, or part lid d If I Ol gnt A gnats oOo tn iignt cas Whe! eTl Work, eacn according Wt) ir shou tand t he e ¢ ment We f tal on account non-} lu i wl Icn ia I I ri! um? ‘ ‘ ©) ‘ eT | r . irse, five ( ( nn. TI es t per 1 each r’ lu ! nd ] erta tire nol LiKe! ire e penny and pound ng 1s st g il ‘ ti I yroduct e jiabor. In order to divide the tax so that rK Ss! arr rn 1 he rade of the work, one shot e cl shipping and general labo productive } roll ir tw on ! ngs; 2, hea castings Then distinct he parting lines between the two divisi« emplovees will fully unde rstand when ings” stop and “heavy castings” begin. ployees make out their time for the day’ em] ee or his foreman mar} tne D 81 4 ei 6.3 5 rn : 3 $3 € a P| <a “ »* " ; ¢ ; ee ut THE IRON AGE June «, 19) 914 The melting report, Fj The George F. Shevlin Mfg. Co. is one of the vital links ( FOUNDRY DEPARTMENT ° : binsitienien Capsla No.9 dry organization. Thre« __ |. = 1s] =e | termine the correct cost Pig ten _ * wha Pe «4 wee as figured in each pound « oe Sas, Ag ose . eT as indicated in the forn -_- Fig. 2: Cost of net melt: | 6. melting labor. The tota a three items divided by t!} Retara Scrap ab Seo ‘nllceaies of pounds of good casting Porsbaged * Bn determines the cost of Seeel mg The total amount-of fou tee core-room supplies divide + —_—Assigets number of pounds of good ee adits 1 Laan cee Be produced give the supply se aeaate = baa ne a8 scam ae must be figured in every * ave _ = good castings to cover th Total Time of Heat 2 Tons Melted per br. 2 Sy ° . Senshi . wages! (senecdines Der dicieeieeseiel foundry expense. So {re ns The daily cast record, ce ge ae ov taken up by the cost clerk at { ound pletion of the day’s work or wh: — | blast is started. He fills in th: Rgpapr: eon a : —— of molder, pattern number, cu in BRM gp Bn ge Bs Filed chronologically, It serves a usetul _cost-card number and number eendition and composition o! ee tal. gen » the « a ao pieces molded. The blank te : turned over to the casting inspect to the class or classes of work done for that day. Core-makers are treated as assistant producers or shipper, who makes a record of y the number of bad and good castings, and the in- dividual weight and total weights of good and had Foundry Department - — The George F. Shevlin Mfg. Co. } TRON ACID BRONZE ae __BRONZE _ ____90v smovws __sere errai—| ~ MATERIAL Ibe a. Amount e Tos Amount Vw Amonat . Ye Amoust \« a | hae ‘ - ! . ee ee ee ae ee e | | | Grose Melt lor Seo | 73¢| = ees $4 - ident 7 | Good Castings 69ers | J tn —++ & ———} ; | i Bad = Iv + —__—_—_+—+ | + — Gates and Spruce +4 Seo /GY | se | | matienniliisiandantiien | | } ] | ; Melting Loos tise | hail i awentiieealbiel Net Melt J4aso iS ¥¢\ de | | 4 } Coke IiYs~ee| 372 |KO | a | — | Melting Labor 17% | fo | J | | Total Cost Hot Metal 159 )| So A ___ Cost Hot Metal por Ib 0086 ——— | 4 Fig. 2—A Tabulation Mads Of M Needed to Ascertain the Unit Cost of the Hot Metal. The totals g and bad castings are obta ble he st record, Fig ind from the value of the gross melt is ded walue of the gates 1 sprues dded the coke and melting-labor costs in order to ascert t of the good castings. FOUNDRIES DEPARTMENT CUSTOMER Fig The Daily Made, Is Filled In by the Cost Clerk Except for the Items Cov Cast Record, Which Is a Long Sheet, to Allo tion Is Recorded by the Castir and their time should be figured at their regular rate. A good labor record form, which keeps the exec- utive in close touch with comparative reports on labor and supplies and their varying costs per pound good castings, is shown in Table 2. An increase or decrease may mean many things, but one thing is certain: any noticeable fluctuation in the cost per pound of good castings should mean immediate investigation by the executive. Many things will be brought to his attention that will mean either success or failure if not handled promptly and effectively. The table: simply shows the main headings but may be kept in detail if so desired with as many headings or sub-headings as the foundry executive thinks necessary. Cost Card No DAILY CAST RECORD. Date Weaght Parties. | coodcetes w for Entering All the Pattern Numbers of Which Me ering the Condition and Weight of Castings, Which lt igs Inspector or Shipper. FOUNDRIES OCEPARTMENT | Patrer No (9o¥%- Core Bones 9 Shalt I /48F |owwcipiion _ Aether Pet = ____ Ben No 127-0 | Si - joscome Mhens Bey. Zo — ______ a Deli wade fatten Sloias - hh sef 4) _ faltin Stee = Zs) sie = YWsti4 } (Oita Slag we a ie se a 4 % i TO annctrney . = aceite Last es a — - ‘ . - Fig. 4—Pattern Record Card, Filed According Number, Showing the Location of the Pattern a ¢ Ar Patter! Jur 1914 THE IRO It then comes to the cost clerk who trans- necessary information to the cost cards. pid-computing elapsed-time job card is not time saver in figuring costs, but a cost con- is well, the figured cost and detail cost be- the same card. An idea of the card may be FOUNDRIES DEPARTMENT. - « - 9 fj ™ , AA NUA - Customer fe Ms 7. ° Date t No.» * Pieces Ordered = Date Assigned “ narks | tot Mf oo Reel] | 6 | Is an . 3s ; | . PhP BERRE . Nw 1 12 | rs A CB ET ET i Ta \ Rapid-Computing Elapsed-Time Job Card i, with spaces for two weeks’ records each side i, so that filed under the customer’s name, the card bec Diagonally omputing the labor cost. ting the zero of the scale opposite the check for the star pposite the quitting time mark that the total moldin th th e molding tax, for the cost of the iron and for supplies ned the molding tax in terms of moldinghours; from the cost of the hot iron; es Spaces are mold, etc Considerable time is saved ily in figuring but in referring to costs, as formation is on the one card and it is not to refer to others to get detail informa- ined from Fig. 5. or essary "he foreman or cost clerk checks the time in red pencil when the job is started and also when If it runs for several days it is checked day on starting and finishing. The cost clerk ies from the daily cast record the number of gs made, good, bad, weights, etc. In com- pulling elapsed time, the scale is placed on the nec ke ( time when the job was started. The time ‘town on the seale opposite the time checked r ard when work was stopped for the day ‘tows the elapsed time. Two rate columns are Provided on the card in case two molders of dif- More vage scales work on the same job. Gr one rh Pay The Bureau of Standards, Zoth side On the one side, ir are given the customer's name and what and how many castings ought. On the other are spaces for calculating the unit cost, including across the face of the card lies a piece scale. This scale is independent of the card and is used fo The record for the first dz No, 713 started in at 7 o’clock and finished molding e reverse side are spaces for total molding wages, for core molding, from table 2 is obtained the cost of the four also provided for the overhead, aver N AGE 1383 columns could be provided if conditions warranted. In the case of radiator foundries or shops, where the core work was a big item, the writer suggests using this card for the core department bearing same job number as molders’ card but of a differ- ent color, and showing on the molder’s or master card that a core card was issued for the job. A pattern record card is a neces- sary record which should be kept in all foundries, no matter how small. It settles disputes of every nature and saves an unlimited amount of time in locating patterns. It not only helps the foundry but ofttimes is of assistance to the customer. Men who have been indispensable on account of their pattern knowl- edge have ofttimes placed foundries in a decidedly embarrassing position when they could not be reached for reason or another. With the card system properly kept a stranger ‘ can walk in and locate the desired pattern at once. co Ineffective Pipe Insulation Washing- a ton, D. C., as the result of an investi- gation of the subject of surface insulation of pipes as a means of pre venting damage to underground metal lic structures by stray currents from electric railroads, has prepared a report which is a warning to pipe manufac- turers and to gas and water companies and to engineers that the materials usually employed for insulation cannot be relied upon for more than temporary efficiency. Tests were made of the various substances available for the purpose of insulation of underground structures, including paints, pitch and asphalt dips, pitch and paper, asphalt and felt wrappings, etc., but the effi- ciency of the protection extended but little more than a year and in many cases only about four months. The average life of the paints was found to be about 116 days, the maxi- mum life obtained from any specimen being but little more than a year. The wrappings lasted longer than the paints and dips, but none of them much more ‘than 400 days. It seems from the re- sults that the failure of the coatings must be caused by absorption by them of water which in time penetrates to the iron, allowing the current to flow and destroy the coating by electrolysis. After the first appearance of current flow the destruction of the coat- ing was observed to proceed very rapidly. The conclusion drawn from the results of the lab- oratory tests, namely, that the protection against elec- trolysis which is obtained by wrapping or painting pipes or other metallic bodies for use underground is only temporary, is borne out by tests on insulated pipes buried in the ground under practical conditions, and also by correspondence with gas and water companies whose experiences lead to the same conclusion ‘s Of the omes a ready) of cardboare iy shows that at 3.15 p. m ting time, one g time is 7% From table |! Fig. 2 is ob ige time per The National Sanitary Company, Massillon, Ohio, incorporated with a capital stock of $500,000 by Fred H., Jacob and Charles Snyder, Louis P. Manger and Richard Johnson, has been organized to take over a plant at Salem, Ohio, recently sold at receiver's sale to members of the new company. It is expected that the plant, which makes enameled iron sanitary ware, will resume operations shortly. ites Oe > - a Slat es a ~ «& Tex eyes % SS ee eo ee “2 rhe rt oo eta the ae eee ie Re a ee a a non secs . j ; ; ; : 1384 THE IRON PROTECTIVE WELDING HELMET A Unique and Simple Device to Protect Welding and Cutting Operators The Julius King Optical Company, 10 Maide1 lane, New York City, has placed on the market a unique and simple helmet, designed to afford pro- tection to ‘electric arc and autogenous welding and their work. (he helmet is owers, after the patentee, F. M. cutting operators known as the | Bowers, superintendent of maintenance Ameri- can Steel Foundries, Chester, Pa It has for its object the provision of an inexpensive shield or nask, which may be fastened to the head of the operator, leaving both hands free for work, and one that could be easily changed from the oper- ative to the inoperative position without removing it from the head of the wearer. The helmet as a whole was designed from actual experience and conditions and is the result of sev- eral years of investigation and experimental work. The helmet is made of aluminum and weighs slightly less than 28 As an additional protec- ion to the operator, this helmet is designed to allow the operator’s wearing a pair of safety spec- desirable when making welds requiring puddling or hammering, acles, which are found especially or cutting large sections of steel, where it becomes necessary for the operator to get a clear and un- obstructed view of his work from time to time. A striking feature of the helmet is the general outline which is formed by two curved sheets riv- eted together at the edge, where they diverge from each, other. This edge forms the front of the helmet which resembles the longitudinal half of a flattened ovoid and differs only from the helmet of the old knights in that it is more pointed in the front. This construction presents a convex sur- face, the entire area of which is angularly dis- posed to the heat rays of the welding or cutting flame, which is relied upon to prevent the pene- ~ a Siete ant no , om ia,” y -s : i ee ay ni ° be The Helmet in Use in Connection with Cae tS — AGE Ju 4 | } for the Protection of Electric Are Welding nd Cutting Operators Showing It Positior i Turned Back to Show Frame tration of the heat rays to a great exte) flecting them. There is a rectangular opening that is « located and recessed from the front edges helmet. Three pieces of glass are fitted int opening, for protecting the eyes against the weld ing arcs, the first or outside one being ordinar transparent window glass, while the second and third are composed of red and blue glasses of spe- cial density. This combination is relied upon produce a reddish purple, which is the color best suited for electric welding or cutting. The tion of the first or transparent glass is to cat or obstruct all incandescent particles of iron and steel emitted from the welding or cutting oper b - an Arc Welding Operation in a Foundry 14 THE IRON saving the more expensive colored glass, ary transparent piece can be replaced no cost. All three glasses are fitted to rapid expansion and contraction which ve apparatus is subjected to. A large sion is afforded to the wearer by the it is emphasized that its fixed posi- tion to the eyes is restful and enables + to concentrate on the object to be pivotally connected to and carried leton band adapted to encircle the head rer as shown in one of the accompa! ngs form a support for the helmet. ean be revolved about the pivotal cor placed in either the operative or the e position. It is pointed out that the this connection is such that when th the operative position, no matter how the perpendicular, the lower edg¢ will fall or press against the chest and form a seal to exclude light, heat ous gases emitted from the operation, the helmet in use in a stee shown in one of the engravings helmet is in the non-operative position - edges rest on the operator’s back, which 1 to move about at will without disturb- leasing the helmet. This position is de- times when the operator is compelled to kly and save time during an important r cutting operation. woolen skull cap with a sweat band is } the inner edges of the skeleton frame of et. The cap forms a support for the n frame and serves as an additional pro- the wearer from flying particles of in iron and steel, and also keeps his head oxide of iron given out by the welding process. weldin; elng A 5-Ft. Heavy Radial Drilling Machine Fosdick Machine Tool Company, Cincinnati, has placed on the market a 5-ft. heavy duty drilling machine, which is similar in design 3-ft. tool which was illustrated in The Iron July 31, 1913. A large oil channel is cast nd the base and runs completely around the n, where it drains into a large reservoir. An- feature of the machine is the design of the which has oil channels draining to a pocket 1 One corner. The placing of a channel around the base, it is emphasized, gives a full ribbed cross-section of the ise at a point immediately in front of the column, where great rigidity is required and allows the ‘-siots to extend back beyond the front of the col- mn, which renders the full working surface of the available. A receptacle may be placed under cket in the table to receive ie ubricant used in the smaller ing and tapping operations, eliminating the necessity imp and piping. lumn is of the double ype, with a fixed inner er extending to the top, irge annular and thrust ngs insure easy swing- - ‘the arm. The column lever, as well as the rincipal operating and levers, is a malleable her tha : } AGE 1385 casting and is located close to the column, so as not to interfere with work on the base when the arm is swung around over the table The arm is of pipe and beam section, which ( + t ‘onstructi oO torsion: n is relied upon to il and bending strai Che el: rs are located in the front in a The elevating is suspended on a ball bearing and speed, It knockout is give great resistance umping lev handy positio1 screw the elevating accidentally and provided for , ey lowers the arm at doubie cannot be engaged safety both extremes oO! the 35-in. arm travel Che head is moved along the arm for 51 va ompound ba earing spiral gear and the hand wheel is placed at the right, so that only the right hand is required to swing the arm and move the head simultaneously, while the left hand is free to raise or lower the spindle. The feed box placed low on the head to give Support t both sides of the feed worm, which is mounted on a ball thrust bear ng and runs in oil. Five feed changes ranging rom 0.007 to 0.031 in. per revolution of the spindle | + lees ll; naexed oa ari vhich is attached to the arm girdle. are available and are ng plate, The spindle, which has a traverse of 18 in., takes the thrust on a special ball bearing, and the double back gears on the head give three speed change with a single lever. The total number of feeds available are 18, and these range from 17 to 391 r.p.m. An automatic trip and depth gauge, which reads from depth desired, in any position of the safety trip always ero, ma he set to the exact pindle. A is provided for the extreme of its travel. The speed box contains an overtake arrange- nent which keeps the machine running at a reduced speed when being made, this arrange A latch pin ler and prevent chat- changes are ment being relied upon to avoid shock is employed to secure the tuml tering on heavy work. The machine is designed so that a motor drive may be added at any time without the necessity of speed box. Constant-speed or idjustable-speed motors having a range of 8 to 1 an be used. These motors, to 10 hp., are a special base or which vary from 7! connected by rawhide gearing. The floor space required by the machine measures 1114 weight x 14 ft. and the net 500 lb. is approximately 10,- Sm Progress in the Smelting of Mayari Ove Experiences with the Fine High Alumina Cuban Ores—Coke from Washed Coal— Elaborate Tests on No. 1 Furnace at Steelton BY RICHARD V. M’KAY+ (With Supplemental Plate) Mr. Brassert’s statement that “with more and more difficult raw materials, progress is not always in the direction of new records of production and fuel consumption, but in the ability to maintain the bset results of the past in the face of greater handi- caps,” has particular application to the progress made in the last six years in developing the practice of smelting the high alumina Cuban ores in the blast furnace. The fundamental conditions have been somewhat different as between progress made in Mesaba versus that in Cuban ore practice. In the latter case, it has not been a struggle to retain ground already conquered. It has been one of as- piring to the high standards previously set by Mesaba practice. During the entire period, the Cuban ore furnaceman has been on the under side. He has been fighting to do as good work on these ores, which in their natural condition might be termed low grade, as had previously been done on Lake ores, without ever daring to think that he could surpass’ the results obtained in earlier prac- tice. All the odds seemed against him. Before proceeding with the more or less detailed account of the various steps in the march toward the latest very satisfactory results in smelting Mayari ore, it might be interesting to picture some of the obstacles, some visible and some otherwise, which lay in the path of the metallurgist and engi- neer, when the Mayari ore fields were discovered in 1904. CONDITIONS IN THE MAYARI ORE FIELDS Indeed, the deposit was enormous in extent but it was located some 2000 ft. above sea level on a plateau difficult of access, miles away from the sea coast, and hundreds of miles away from the blast furnaces which were to be supplied, in an almost uninhabited, insect and fever infested district. The problem of mining was simple, but the ore contained great quantities of moisture and com- bined water, which necessitated drying before being shipped to the States. To erect and operate an industrial plant with all the requisite accessories for this purpose, in a country far from the labor and manufacturing markets, was not a very inviting task, yet in view of the freight saving on water, this seemed to be the only recourse. The ore was extremely fine, and naturally, since nodulizing was but one step further than drying, there seemed no reason why the two results could not be obtained in a single operation. Thus opened the immense field of nodulizing prob- lems. Due to excessive moisture and, no doubt, partly to the high alumina content, Mayari ore was not so easily nodulized as other materials, such as Cornwall concentrates, pyrite cinder, flue dust, etc., upon which much experience had previously been gained. Preliminary experiments were conducted with Mayari ore in a nodulizing kiln at the Lebanon Plant of the Pennsylvania Steel Company, and indi- *Contribution to the symposium on the modern American blast furnace, American Iron and Steel Institute, New York, May 22. +Superintendent, blast furnaces, Pennsylvania Steel Com- pany, Steelton, Pa. cated that there was no apparent difficulty in forp. ing nodules, neither was the fuel consumpt . : 10N Con- sidered excessive. However, when the somewha; larger kilns, designed for greater capacities, were placed in operation at Felton, Cuba, with the bes labor available, which was none too good, it was dis. covered that many lessons were yet to be learned Extensive mechanical changes were necessitated + adapt the plant to tropical conditions. Machiner; which was at all complicated, or which necessitate; intelligence in operation had to be eliminated as far as possible, for the Cuban and imported labor proved quite unreliable. Besides this, Mayari ore in the raw state was handled with great difficulty, due to its sticky, clayey consistency, and the original bucket eleva. tors and conveyors gave way to the gantry cranes and grab buckets. In the raw state, the ore would stand in a pile at a 90 deg. angle, and even when grab buckets were installed, the question of handling was not entirely solved. This same natural condi- tion of the ore gave no end of trouble in obtaining regular feed to the kilns. Various constant feed devices were tried out, until the present revolving platform feed was settled upon as the best to meet the conditions. Had the plant been located within easy reach of a manufacturing center, all of these difficulties could have been corrected within a short period of time and at fairly small expense, but since it was necessary to build all machinery in the States and ship to Cuba, months were consumed, where under similar conditions in industrial plants more favorably located, it would have been a matter of days. NODULIZING AND BLAST FURNACE PROBLEMS Concerning the quality of nodules produced, it was assumed at an early date that 90 per cent. remaining on a 40-mesh screen should be satisfac- tory for blast furnace use. This size was assumed with Lake practice as a basis, the idea being to get ore somewhat coarser than the Mesabas. With this standard set, operations at the Felton plant were brought to a fairly satisfactory basis. Kiln ton- nages were increased gradually to a maximum 0 9 tons per hour and fuel consumption was reduced at the same time. However, the quality of ore pro- duced gave excessive flue dirt losses in the blast furnace, and it was found necessary to make a new standard of 75 per cent. material remaining on 1 mesh screen. This more recent standard resulted in reducing the kiln tonnages and increasing the fuel consumption, but by using binders in the nodulizing process satisfactory results have been obtained. Since successful blast furnace practice demands the coarser nodules, it will be upon this basis that the future advances will be made ™ Cuba. , Following the nodulizing problems came those ° the blast furnace. Uncertainty centered about the behavior of a furnace carrying such high percent: ages of alumina in the slag. There was no prec® dent to guide the furnaceman and naturally he had to be extremély cautious. In September and Oct? ber, 1904, experiments were conducted on 4 small 1386 = . ° : . . . . > . . - : . . - > . : o > © > ° . 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J K si Pal » ” Wineiaiai HDOIH NO SNNa s e ar ne a ite é er ™ June 4, 1914 THE IRON AGE 1387 at the Steelton plant of the Pennsylvania Ct, mpany to determine some facts concerning portant question. By means of Lake ore, te, brick bats and bauxite, a furnace mixture ;coected approximating Mayari ore in chemi- position. The test run lasted 11 days dur- ch time the furnace averaged 102 tons on fuel ratio. This mixture worked with suf success as to the character of slag and gen- eral furnace conditions, to warrant a small ship- ment of ore from the mountains in the Mayari dis- tri About 1200 tons was transported on mule from the deposit at El Perio to the sea coast, and shipped to Steelton, where it was tried with more or less success on No. 1 furnace in Febru- ary, 1906. s test was of six days duration, the furnace averaging 59.5 tons of iron per day on a fuel ratio f 2.13. The flue dirt was excessive, however, and as a result the actual yield of pig iron was but 29 per cent. Notwithstanding the unfavorable results as to fuel ratio and yield, the fact was established that the alumina content of the ore presented no insur- mountable difficulties but it was conceded that the physical condition of the ore would require consid- erable attention. Further shipments of raw ore, and later nodules, were made to the States and con- verted into iron from which the steel maker had an opportunity to determine his skill in the elimination of chromium. Suffice it to say that the troubles of the open hearth and Bessemer man were many, but this phase of the Mayari problem was worked out economically far in advance of the blast furnace dif- ficulties Unlike the conditions which surrounded the de- velopment of Mesaba practice, experiment on the Mayari ores was confined to the resources and equip- ment of one company with coke, generally speaking, of an inferior quality and a limited corps of fur- nace operators. With but two plants available for experiment, and these not equipped for handling such varied conditions while conducting their rou- tine business, progress was naturally delayed. Prob- lems had to be solved one by one, and at the time best suited not to interfere with the regular output f iron and steel. THE MAYARI ORE As mined, Mayari ore has approximately the ‘ollowing chemical composition : Fe 38.14, H.O 23.22, SiO, 2.00, Al,O, 10.00, Mn. 0.51, P 0.013, S 0.15, Cr 1.46, Ni 0.57, Combined water 11.50. lt consists of a mixture of hydrated iron oxide, ‘imonite, with hydrated aluminum oxide, bauxite, and the oxides of nickel, chromium and cobalt. In ‘ppearance the ore is a reddish yellow to dark red lor, and is of a decidedly clayey consistency. Following is a sizing test made on the raw ore ‘ter it had been thoroughly dried, which will indi- ‘te the extreme fineness of the ore. For compari- | have placed this beside the Mesaba screen ‘which Mr. Brassert shows in his paper. Screens No No. No. No. No. No. No. Thru é 8 20 40 60 80 100 100 40 26.86 12.54 10.86 6.92 2.76 3.34 11.33 27.72 34.36 18.93 6.03 4.07 1.05 7.84 \t 4 ; . . a large percentages of raw Mayari ore in a ‘rhace mixture, violent slips occurred and made operat . ns extremely irregular. Perhaps the most sical explanation is that the 11 to 13 per cent. of -ombined water caused the trouble. No doubt, fol- Wing a period during which the furnace was hang- stock was precipitated into the lower zones ran Ing, the where the temperature was great enough to drive off the combined water. The sudden generation of steam caused an explosion which gave the typical fine ore ore slip. These did considerable damage to the old fashioned open top furnaces, both at Spar- row’s Point and Steelton, especially at the former plant where more experimenting wa sdone on the larger capacity furnaces. NODULIZING At an early date considerable preliminary ex perimenting was done to determine the most feasi- ble means of preparing the ore. The use of briquet- ted raw ore lost favor, chiefly on account of mechan- ical difficulties and cost of production. A machine was built for the purpose of rolling the ore into cor- rugated sheets which were afterward sintered. This likewise proved expensive and did not bring the an- swer. Finally, nodulizing was determined upon as the most promising method, and the erection of a plant was begun in Cuba. The fact that the Penn sylvania Steel Company already had nodulizing kilns in successful operation at Steelton and Lebanon on Cornwall concentrates, pyrite cinder, flue dust, etc., no doubt encouraged the use of the kiln. The first kiln went into commission November, 1909, and the first shipment of nodules was made in December of that year. At present, the plant con sists of twelve kilns; eleven, 10 ft. shell diameter by) 100 ft. long, and one, 9 ft. shell diameter by 100 ft. long, with a daily capacity of 1500 to 2000 tons of nodules. Numerous modifications of this process have been developed which show good effects. An alysis of nodulized Mayari ore is as follows: WVayari Nodules Dried a 1 Dea Fe HO SiOs Al,O Mn I’ ( 6.53 2.14 4.11 12.89 i 0.018 2.04 0.9 Following is a comparison of screen tests made on Mayari nodules produced in Cuba on the old basis; 10 per cent. through 40 mesh (1); coarse nodules produced in Cuba (2); Lime nodules which come up to the new standard of 75 per cent. on 10 mesh (3); and typical Lake ores. On No No No No No. No No. Thru sil : ’ ! (1) Fine Mas iri Nodules 4.70 2.40 31.80 25.50 21.53 6.76 2.95 1.16 (2) Coarse Mayat Nodules , 4.1 44.42 34 1 1 3.45 1.46 i9 «61.6 }) Coarse Lime Ma Nodules - ‘ ’ i ’ i (4) Mesaba iv 6.56 ( 10.86 6.92 2.76 3 : (5) Old Range 1.16 30.78 01 8.14 4.16 2.06 2.74 NOTE on cccount of use of different screen scale, fo comparative purposes, 10 mesh screen unted No. & = user Mr. Brassert The question immediately arises as to why flue dust loss with fine Mayari nodules is so much greater than with the relatively finer Lake ores. This is probably explained by the fact that the nodule par- ticles are more free and granular than in the Lake ores and no doubt they retain this condition to a greater depth in the furnace due to the absence of any great amount of carbon deposit in the upper zones of the furnace. From laboratory experiments made by passing blast furnace gas over samples of Mayari nodules and “Admiral” Lake ore under iden- tical conditions of temperature, showed maximum carbon deposit of 157 per cent. at 450 deg. C. with “Admiral” ore against a maximum carbon deposit of 0.7 per cent. at the same temperature with Mayari nodules. This condition is perhaps somewhat modi- fied in the blast furnace, yet it is possible that it affects the tendency of the two ores to pass off in the gas as flue dust. = i agli maton pany ee a et e Ddevy ~ 2 je ae Oe OER ev Bana erg vin 2 Aah REG é + ce Ps ‘ape ts ; a ae a He, 5 bar te Ry ti be J ‘5 i ° x t 4 ee i* Ae f +3 a ma i 4 S 9 Bad f 1388 THE IRON AGE Jun 1914 SINTERING A considerable tonnage of Mayari ore in the nat- ural state has been sintered in the Greenawalt pans by admixture of furnace flue dust which furnished the combustible material, but up to the present time, the sintering of this ore with the addition of coal, coke, or other straight fuel has only been conducted on an experimental basis. Mixtures of anywhere from 14 flue dust (15 to 18 per cent. carbon), with 34 raw ore, down to %4 flue dust with 44 raw ore have given good results. Eight to 10 per cent. of fine anthracite coal, culm or coke breeze mixed with the ore gave a good sinter when tried experiment- ally. Bituminous coal did not work satisfactorily as the hydro-carbons, tar, etc., volatilized from the coal in the burning portion of the charge condensed in the pores of the cold and wet portions, thereby closing up the air passages and causing dead unsin- tered spots. The sintering process promises to prove to be the most efficient means of preparing Mayari ore for the furnace. BRIQUETTING Attention has been paid to application of the Mashek briquetting machine to the treatment of raw Mayari ore. This machine in its present form consists essentially of two corrugated rolls, with the corrugations running parallel to the axis of the rolls, on the surface. These rolls are held together by powerful springs which serve to exert pressure on the ore as it is fed between them. Pencils of com- pressed ore approximately 12 in. long and 11% in. in diameter result, and it is hoped that these will hold together till they pass down into the furnace, or if they do break will not produce fines. Of course, this material will not stand weathering and consequently will have to be charged directly from the machine into the furnace. Since the cost of mining of Mayari ore is so exceedingly low, any means by which the ore may be successfully prepared for use in its nat- ural state is sure to prove attractive, more particu- larly as it may be found that the ore in its natural condition is best suited for reduction in a blast furnace. COKE To my mind, the inferior coke heretofore avail- able in carrying on the furnace operations has proved to be the greatest stumbling block in the way of satisfactory progress, sharing in importance the question of size of nodules. The Maryland Steel Company was forced to use in its furnaces coke from an obsolete by-product coke plant—one of the first of its kind built in this country. At Steelton, oven operating conditions were what could be expected with a modern Semet-Solvay coke plant, but the character of coal supplied to the ovens resulted in a coke of varying ash and sulphur content. The physical structure was weakened by layers of slate forming fracture planes and this resulted in excessive quantities of coke breeze. As a consequence of the use of raw coke and coke containing worthless breeze, exceedingly high blast pressures resulted. Coke dirt scaffolds formed, and then at intervals would slide in great masses into the furnace hearth. The furnace re- quired continual checking to prevent heavy slips. When the already fine state of the stock column due to the coke was further aggravated by the use of fine Mayari nodules, the furnace conditions would grow worse. Under the circumstances it was per- haps only natural that an undue share of the fur- nace troubles was attributed to Mayari ore. In other words, the extremely fine condition of the stock column, due to both fine dirty coke and fine Mayari nodules, has been the cause of sures, loss of tonnage, increased fuel «& and practically all the other bad effects y experienced on high percentage Mayari Certain developments of the last fey have cleared the horizon both at Sparr and at Steelton. Due to business cond furnace operations were suspended at th plant in January, 1914, and at that time old coke plant passed out and has been d Operations were resumed in March, usi grade Connellsville coke. Since then nor sures, exceptionally good fuel consumpt tonnages and ideal furnace operations | the rule. Following are some records of No. Maryland Steel Company, under both con with old by-product coke and with Co coke: Old Coke Conn Sept., Oct., Nov., Mar., 1913 1913 1913 1914 316 329 302 337 Average daily tonnage Average daily fuel ra- tio ie cic Cone 1.14 1.13 l.2e Much of the good record of April 1914, is no doubt attributable to the use of coarsé nodules than had previously been used. T! size of the nodules is an item of great importa is borne out by practice on 100 per cent. nodu Cornwall concentrates at Lebanon. On this or a character entirely different from Mayari, it is a established rule that fine nodules result in retarding the traveling of the furnace, in abnormal blast pressures and in reduced outputs of iron. During this same period, at Steelton, a washing plant was completed for the purpose removing slate and sulphur from the coking coa This plant began operations in March, 1914, and at once the quality of coal resulting was such as t give an excellent coke in the ovens. The washing plant has a capacity of approximately 1500 tons washed coal in 10 hours. The analysis of the Pen Mary coals, coke from unwashed coal, washed and coke from washed coal are as follows: VoL, Fixed et C Ash Ss Penn-Marv coals.....25.00 65.63 9.37 1.0 Coke from unwashed coal, aver. tor year BOER 6:35 x esia aw ene ee 1.29 86.07 12.64 1 Washed coal ........ 27.51 66.17 6.32 0.96 Coke from washed OGL .veswonae ws .. 0.89 90.35 8.76 0.86 The coke resulting from washed coal was ‘ ceptional character physically as well as chemic: being strong and tough with a splendid open cel! structure. Following are results of some phys tests made on washed and unwashed coke, showing slight decreases in specific gravity and correspo! ingly slight increase in size of cells, due to washing coal: Unwashed Cok “V Specific gravity apparent..... 972 Specific gravity real... ‘ ; 1.812 Per cent. cells. . ‘ — $6.96 Per cent. walls . ; 53.04 The Penn-Mary Coals are naturally good coking coals and make splendid coke when the sulphur : ash are within reasonable bounds. This is no dou the reason that such a slight difference is note between the washed and unwashed coals. LIMESTONE A local dolomitic limestone, which for Lak‘ practice would be considered of a very low grac’ suits the Mayari practice splendidly at Stee! It analyzes approximately 3.5 to 6 per cent. © 69.5 per cent CaCo, and 25 per cent. Mg00.- ° Cuban ore practice it has been found that Pag per cent. MgO in the slag is very benefi {) Ty 1914 THE IRON AGE 1389 Point a mixture of half calcite and half used to obtain this condition. When ne was used trouble was experienced with der and heavy slag runners. All stone is » go through a 6-in. ring and the fines ed deal coke available and with a new stand- ished for the coarseness of Mayari splendid opportunity presented itself for ment of some of the points about which seemed to exist. By eliminating all the possible, the field was opened for study nditions, internal working of furnace and s which might be demonstrated. With t in view, an elaborate series of tests was March, 1914, on No. 1 furnace at Steelton. STS ON NO. 1 FURNACE, STEELTON sure, this furnace is small, being 9 ft. rth, 15 ft. bosh, 11 ft. stockline, 65 ft. high; xperimental work it presented decided ad rests of longer duration could be run on nnages of materials, and since most of vas especially prepared this was quite a con item. It might be argued that results at n this small furnace would not be con th those to be expected on a larger fur meet this argument we have previous his ¢ comparative performances of this smal and larger ones on other mixtures t ns approximately alike. From earlier ex t is fair to assume that this small fu l, pe ‘ ore el! © I ture, de I re lb. ~P er minut pig iror per cer r iron, per cent iron, per cent iron, per cent ce, per cent er cent per cent iag, per cent t ent per ent ) in slag, |] t ce ( t } per ce! mesh, per t igh No. 106 < No. 20, 1 ent igh N« : ‘ ent nches w I ire, deg. F ner f+ siag nalyses, the pe t ( ) I e 5S to form Cas in from 200 to 250 lb. higher on fuel con- than one of the 300-ton furnaces. This is ly to small size and uneconomical lines to the fact that the capacity is limited ' stove capacity and to the antiquated filling. On the other hand, the flue dirt would be but half that of a 300-ton the blowing, on March 16, 1914, the fur- ime fairly well straightened out on March with unwashed coke, 75 per cent. of fine nodules was put on the furnace for two supplemental plate). Then the schedule mtinued as follows: inwashed coke—75 per cent. fine Mayari nodu unwashed coke—81 per ent. fine Ma} This takes us up to date (May 20) and the tests : are to be continued approximately as follows ' Some of the ] nts dese? especial ment as shown on the charts ar Sudden clearing u} lt entire tuation wnel change was made from unwashed coke and fin nodules, to washed ‘ke and coarse nodules, with increased product, improved yield of iron [rom ore, drop in fuei ratio, drop in percentage . 3., ] - ; of stone to ore, reduction in flue dirt produced } remarkable drop of 3 to 4 lb. in blast pressure increase in nickel content of pig iron, drop it sulphur content of pig iron and the establis! ment of extremely regular, uniform furnace nditions with complete absence of an lip ping or hangings The high alumina and high ercentage i n t! ig ma f [i erest A immat tr the average results tr each test t ] ited nerewitn toget with tne aa I he month of December, 1908, when No. 1 furnace made a record tonnage on a mixture of 75 per cent Lake ore and 25 per cent. Daiquir : 4 NO ROUBLES WITH LHI LAG During the entire run, the physical condition After flushes and casts, the runners contained pra tically no cinder. of the slag has been excellent. all having drained clean. The slag was invariably, hot and exceptionally fluid. With silica plus alumina about 52 per cent., composed of approximately 29 "oo per cent. alumina and 23 per cent. silica, good re sults were obtained. In fact it developed that variations in alumina from 27 to 33 per cent. and in silica from 20 to 25 per cent. had no apparent effect on the operation of the furnace. matter of slag temperature appeared far more im portant than chemical composition. Our excellent coke gave an intensely hot hearth and no difficulty To me the . 2 é ; . ¥ © ‘ , ' 7 © , Ls ciae [ oa tz +s ; * ih 3 a ria eam ata ¥ . ey a $ 'y 3 # rs E » Pt eB ® . i} 3 C2t8 @ ae is ae Colombia’s Resources and Possibiliti: Its Natural Riches and Prospective Trade Large Railroad Building a Vital Need—The Oil Concessions BY CHARLES M. PEPPER CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA, May 20, 1914.—Colombia lies close to the United States, so close that Ameri- can business men sometimes overlook it entirely in their survey of South America. It has vast un- developed resources, and as a prospective market no one can measure its possibilities. Taking its Caribbean coast, New York and New Orleans are at its front door. Or the case might be put the other way by saying that the Colombian ports of Carta- gena and Barranquilla are the front doors of our Atlantic ports. Entering through them the possi- bilities of a large section of Colombia are dis- closed. There is also the banana port of Santa Marta. A GEOGRAPHICAL OUTLINI Cartagena and Barranquilla are the commercial mouths of the Magdalena River, and the Magda- jena, for nearly 1000 miles, is the great central trade artery of Colombia. Much of the commerce of the interior in and out is carried in the flat- bottom side-wheel boats not exceeding three and a half ,feet draft, because the channel of the Magda- lena is so shallow and shifting that a deeper draft is impracticable. The boats are something like those formerly seen on the Ohio river. They used to be made in the United States by shipyards which provided the Ohio river boats of this type, but German competition came in and has displaced this source of supply. Banana cultivation, of course, is limited to the low coastland, but coffee, minerals and various tropical products are floated down the Mag- dalena. Part of the Magdalena commerce is fed by the Cauca river which flows into it 200 miles above seaboard. The Cauca traverses a rich agricultural section. It has steamboats, but they are of even *This is the concluding article of a series in The Iron Age by Mr. Pepper based on a tour of South American states The previous countries treated of were as follows: Peru, No- vember 13, 1913 Chili, January 1 and February , 1914 Argentina, March 5, 1914 grazil, April 2, 1914, and Bolivia May Z 174014 Harbor Front and Old Seawall at Cartagena, lesser draft than the boats on the Magd much of its commerce is by means of ca rowboats. Six hundred miles from the mouth of th: ’ lena is Honda, whence the mountain road leads ¢ the capital at Bogota. This road was built the time of the Spanish conquerors by Indian labor It was a formidable undertaking then, and would be a formidable one to-day. Formerly, practically a] the traffic to and from Bogota was carried over this road by pack trains of mules. The Colombian Goy ernment finally succeeded in getting a railway line constructed from Bogota to Girardot on the upper Magdalena, 100 miles above Honda. At the latter place a transfer can be made to boats whose draft does not exceed two and a half feet. This is con- venient for travelers who do not like the prospect of three days on the back of a mule over the road from Honda to Bogota, but for traffic it is incon venient to make the transfer and then to transfer again at Girardot to the railway, so that a large proportion of freight is still carried by the pack trains. Two hundred miles below Honda is a river land- ing known as Puerto Berrios. A railway starts here for Medellin, the capital of the state of Anti- oquia, which is the chief mineral state of Colombia. The railway has pushed towards Medellin very slowly, but it is so close now that it may almost be said to be there, furnishing a very important rail feeder for the Magdalena. Medellin itself is an en- terprising city of 50,000 to 60,000 and is the center of a considerable commerce. Coming back to the Caribbean coastline, there is the Darien country, of which the Atrato river is the artery. The Atrato commerce is fed from both Cartagena and Colon. Two hundred miles up the Atrato is the important commercial center know! as Quibdo. This is not a very large town, possibly having 3000 inhabitants, but its trade is large. The place is important enough to have a United States consular representative sta- tioned there. Colombia also has an ex- tensive Pacific coast frontage When the canal is opened this may be considered as a pro- longation of our Atlantic coast line. An important commerce direct with the Pacific coast section is certain. There are only three or four small ports here, the most important © which is Buenavent