The Iron Age 1927-02-24: Vol 119 Iss 8

ESTABLISHED 1855 THE IRON AGE New York, February 24, 1927 VOL. 119, No. 8 New Production Foundry in South Equipment for Molding and Pouring and Plant Lay- out Insure Large Output of Street Lighting Standards—Sandslingers Used BY ROGERS A. FISKE* ONCENTRATION of manufacturing at one point C has been undertaken by the King Co., 230 South Clark Street, Chicago, maker of street lighting tandards, brackets and newels. A new plant has been built and put into operation at Sheffield, Ala., and the company’s two former foundries, one at St. Joseph, Mo., and the other at Chicago, have been dismantled. The new foundry is equipped for a melt of 75 tons of ron per 8-hr. shift, and it is estimated that 240 light- ng standards can be cast per turn. The former No. plant, which was located at St. Joseph, Mo., was operated on three 8-hr. shifts up to the time that it was closed. The No. 2 plant, at Chicago, was operating single turn when it was shut down. On a single turn basis the new Sheffield foundry has double combined capacity of the two old plants operating n three 8-hr. shifts. The location at Sheffield is favorable. It is not far oved from the dam constructed by the Government Editor, THs Iron Aor, Chicago. Pattern and Machine Shep at Muscle Shoals, from which power is distributed by the Alabama Power Co. The plant has a switch track connection with the Southern Railway and lies a short distance from blast furnaces of the Sloss - Sheffield Steel & Iron Co. The main building is 175 x 460 ft., and other units include a pattern and machine shop, 48 x 170 ft., a warehouse, 34 x 100 ft., a foundry supply house, 34 x 70 ft., an oil house, 20 x 34 ft., a pattern storage building, 35 x 60 ft., a timekeeper’s office, 15 x 20 ft., and a two-story general office building, 28 x 50 ft. The St. Louis Structural Steel Co., St. Louis, fabricated the steel framework. Extending parallel to the main building is a 220-ft. crane runway with a span of 51 ft. Mounted on the runway, one side of which is supported by the building structure, is a 5-ton electric traveling crane, supplied by the Northern Engineering Works, Detroit. Raw materials are switched to a spur beneath the crane, which is used also to load finished products for ship- ment. Cupolas are located at one end of the runway so that pig iron and coke may be handled from cars either to stock or to the charging platform, which is of suffi- Mil! Roorn below, Chargigg Platform above He loilets 0, sor Molding, 2? SOTLESSOL IP ane Sand / 4, they are rammed by the sandslinger. Tron ard ofee, Storage for Cupolas on Bracket Molding Pole f Mold: ng Short fRum Patterns * Pole Fimshing —_ oa ad a tt > et Oe Pole Loading and F Reni: Storage Crare Fails — 0:/ House. Bracket Finshing A cetylene Gas - Gererator House ' Pate ae ’ 0 20 49 © 80 i00 [tHE Sandslinger Shown Between Two Tracks on the Left Side of the Plan View Serves the Produe- tion End of the Foundry. As fast as drags and copes are placed on the pattern cars, designated Nos. As soon as a cope or drag has been rammed, it is removed mold finishing rollover machine and the pattern car is returned to the station of the same number at the end of the track to receive another flask and pattern 557 558 THE IRON cient size to provide for the storage of materials for one day’s operation of the plant. Cupolas Melt Pig Iron Mixed with Steel There are two No. 4 Whiting continuous-pour cupolas, and each is lined down to a capacity of 5 tons per hr. The pig iron used has a high silicon content and is mixed with steel, the resulting product having been given the trade name of “Ferronite.” This metal has the strength necessary for the service to which street lighting standards are subjected. Moreover, it is rust-resisting, and it has the quality of holding the more or less intricate ornamental design of the molds. One motor-driven, positive type blower, supplied by the Wilbraham-Green Blower Co., Pottstown, Pa., serves both cupolas, a shut-off gate having been located in the branch pipe to each unit. The power used at the Sheffield plant is purchased from the Alabama Power Co. The motor and control equipment throughout was furnished by the General Electric Co., Schenectady, N. Y. The large motors are designed for 2300-volt, 3-phase, 60-cycle current and the small motors for 220- volt, 3-phase, 60-cycle current. The lighting circuit operates at 110 volts. A battery of six oil-fired ovens, furnished by the Mahr Mfg. Co., Minneapolis, Minn., is used for baking dry-sand cores. Each oven is 9 x 20 x 7 ft. and is fired by Mahr No. 99 burners. Fuel oil is stored in a 15,000- gal. underground tank, and before passing to the burners it pumped through electric heaters made by the General Electric Co. Molding Is on Production Basis Lighting standard molds are made by means of two seardsley & Piper sandslingers. One sandslinger is placed so that it can swing to either side over parallel narrow-gage tracks on which are operated the cars that carry the copes and drags, which are made in three sizes, 12 ft., 16 ft. and 20 ft. This sandslinger is served by two 7-ton electric cranes and two monorail hoists, all of which were built by the Chisholm & Moore Mfg. Co., Cleveland. The sandslinger is located midway be- tween the ends of the tracks, and its station is known as the ramming position. Four pattern cars are mounted on the tracks, the ends of which are given station numbers. Stations No. 1 and No. 2 are at opposite ends of the track on one side of the sand- slinger, and stations No. 3 and No. 4 are at the ex- treme ends of the opposite track. Continuous Ramming by Sandslinger Drag flasks are placed on the pattern cars at sta- tions No. 1 and No. 4 by a monorail hoist, which was erected so that the overhead crane can pass over it. The cars are then moved to the ramming position on their respective tracks. The sandslinger operator rams the drag on car No. 1, and in the meantime drag flasks are placed on pattern cars No. 2 and No. 3. After the drag on No. 1 car is rammed the operator moves, without stopping the sandslinger, to the flask on car No. 4, which is in the ramming position on the op- posite track. Car No. 1 is then moved to station No. 1, and car No. 2 is moved to the ramming position from station No. 2. The overhead electric crane re- moves the drag from pattern car No. 1 and places it on a mold-finishing® rollover. By that time ramming has been completed on car No. 4, and the operator moves to car No. 2 without stopping the sandslinger. Car No. 4 is then moved to station No. 4 and car No. 3 is moved to ramming position. At the same time the overhead electric crane places the cope flask on car No. 1, and the operations are repeated with cope flasks in the same manner as with drag flasks. The overhead crane then removes drag No. 1 from the rollover and places it on a flask car, and the cores are set by means of push cranes. This AGE February 24 1927 is repeated with drags No. 4, No. 2 and N . the copes have been placed and the molds } cams nave been clamped, the flask cars are moved to a sic bay and poured. In the pouring bay are two 3-ton, single I-beam, overhead push cranes furnished by the Arm. ington Engineering Co., Euclid, Ohio. Upon each crane are mounted a 2-ton Chisholm & Moore electri hoist and an Armington trolley with chain hoist, from which is suspended a 1000-Ib. ladle. After cooling, the cope is moved to the shakeout, and the flask is placed in position under the monorail that serves the sand. slinger. The casting is then removed and placed n a car which conveys it to the core shakeout. The second sandslinger is used for short-run orders and is located in the center bay. Molds Are Poured from Both Ends Standards cast in the shop range in weight from 209 to 1500 lb. each. A 3000-lb. top-pour ladle is used ¢ transport the hot metal from the cupolas to the pour- ing bay. The 1000-lb. ladle is filled from the 3000-) ladle, and then the mold is poured simultaneously fron both ends, using both the large and small ladles. Compressed air for air hoists and bumping machines is furnished at 90 lb. pressure by a two-stage com- pressor, built by the Gardner Governor Co., Quincy, I]! The shakeout is accomplished by an air hoist, mac by the Curtis Pneumatic Machinery Co., St. Louis The sand falls into a pit, from which it is rem by a conveyor, furnished by the Stephens-Adamsor Mfg. Co., Aurora, Ill. This sand is delivered, back t the storage bin at the sandslinger. Cores are knocked out, and the sand is returned by a conveyor to storages in the core room. The fins and gates are chipped off and the castings are then cleaned by a power wire brush. A portable grinder, supplied by the United States Electrical Tool Co., Cincinnati, is used to smooth off rough parts. The standards are then weighed and are finally given two coats of paint. A Fordson tractor, w! is equipped with a boom, transfers the finished product from the shop to the loading crane on the yard run- way. Two standards can be handled on one trip. The design and construction of this plant were under the supervision of Julius J. Gruenfeld, enginee: and George G. King, manager at Sheffield. Street Lighting Began in Paris Street lighting is comparatively modern. Paris, France, was the first city in the world to install street lighting. In 1558 its inhabitants were ordered to place lighted candles in front of their houses, and in 1788 pitch or resin bowls were substituted for candle !an- terns. In 1809 illuminating gas was first used for street lighting in London, England. Gas mantle lamps were first used in this country for street lighting in 1890. The history of modern street lighting began with the invention of illuminating gas and has continued with the development of the ar¢ lamp and the incan- descent light. Many improvements have marked de- velopments in recent years, both in the lighting un" and in the construction and design of the lighting standard. The Swedish machinery industry in 1926 was oad perous, according to Assistant Trade Commissioner Emil A. Kekich, Stockholm. The export value — group “vessels, vehicles and machinery” Goring v0. according to official statistics, amounted to eee while the same figure for 1925 was only $28,729,0 f Russia, which formerly purchased large quantities Swedish tools, bought little during the yea" ~ Swedish ball bearing industry worked at full capac v4 during the past year, and sales have increased cons erably in spite of strong foreign competition. Metallurgists Discuss Pig Iron Foundry and Steel Making Troubles Aired at Min- ing Engineers’ Convention—Research Study Planned—Several Medals Presented WO sessions were conducted by the iron and steel T mmittee of the American Institute of Mining nd Metallurgical Engineers at its annual Febru- ary meeting in New York last week, Feb. 14 to 17. One was devoted to miscellaneous steel subjects, some hief features of which were reported in THE InoN AGE last week. The other, a discussion on car- n pig iron, is reported in the following pages. One of the best technical programs which the In- tute of Metals Division of the A. I. M. and M. E. ever presented was attended by enthusiastic groups. The report of the chief features of these sessions will be covered in a later issue. The presentation of the annual lectures drew large crowds. The fourth Henry M. Howe memorial lecture was delivered by Bradley Stoughton, head of the de- partment of metallurgy, Lehigh University, South Bethlehem, Pa. The fifth Institute of Metals lecturer was Dr. Cecil H. Desch, Sheffield University, Sheffield, England. How Much Carbon in Pig Tron? 7 HAT a clearing of the atmosphere is necessary as to just what the properties of the pig iron should be as it is furnished by producers to various users was lemonstrated by the round table discussion on carbon in pig iron. It was decided by the iron and steel com- mittee of the institute last fall that such a discussion would be of much profit to all concerned, and, as a result, a program was arranged for the meeting last week. Complaints are frequently heard in gray iron, malleable and steel fields that something is wrong with the pig iron. One question which has been uppermost is ree much carbon should there be in the different grades. Under the designation of “Carbon in Pig Iron,” a program was arranged comprising four papers. The chairman of the session was Ralph H. Sweetser, vice- president, American Rolling Mills Co., at Columbus, Ohio. In opening the meeting he called attention par- ticularly to the fact that the blast furnace has no pecifications for total carbon, expressing at the same time a doubt whether users of pig iron really know just what this total carbon should be. The object of the committee, he said, was to obtain views with the ect of initiating a program of research, if necessary. The situation confronting both pig iron users and producers was presented in a paper entitled “Need for Research in Foundry Pig Iron,” by Dr. Richard Mol- ler ke, Watchung, N. J. The major portion of this paper is published on other pages. Doctor Moldenke, in presenting an outline of his paper, said that foundrymen are aware of the des- perate position in which the blast furnace man at present finds himself. Not only has he European iron to contend with, but he has other drawbacks, such as increasing cost of labor and materials. As a result, he frequently has to reduce his costs by the use of scrap or cut down his coke burden. Scrap being cheap, large quantities are frequently used. As a result, oxi- dized iron is being produced. He cited the recent in- stance of an iron containing 2.70 per cent silicon which produced castings having numerous hard spots. The only recourse of the foundrymen in this case is to mix high-grade iron with the so-called “off-iron.” The present need is a higher quality iron in the castings and more accurate castings to save machining. The speaker said the really important thing is the total car- bon. “Can we specify a minimum total carbon and find some way to detect good iron from poor as re- gards its strength, etc.?” he asked. Representing the malleable iron interests, a paper entitled “A Pig Iron, Low in Total Carbon, Is in De- mand for Use in Various Industries,” by Dr. Enrique Touceda, Albany, N. Y., was presented by title in his absence. In part, Doctor Touceda said that the ques- tion as to the proper amount of total carbon that the malleable foundry would prefer for use in the produc- tion of air furnace white iron castings must be con- sidered from different angles, that is, whether it is de- sirable or advantageous from an economic standpoint to use some low carbon scrap in the mixture or make (MEL sarc tcusacgansevn see aeeasuanenannyusnet tonne NAPA TSN \GENTAUEDAATLETELI LUTEAL AE stitute. Lectures by Two Prominent Metallurgists R. CECIL H. DESCH delivered the annual Institute of Metals lecture. He is a prominent British scientist and a fellow of the Royal Society since 1923. He has presented many papers before foreign technical societies and is the author of several books on metallurgy. Bradley Stoughton was the annual Henry M. Howe memorial lecturer. He is well-known as the author of a treatise on iron and steel metallurgy. For sev- eral years he was secretary of the in- : : : : 560 THE IRON AGE use of pig and sprue only. It is at once apparent that, even if carbon in pig iron is considered as a scrap carrier, no possible advantage arises from the use of high carbon pig iron; first, because the use of the mixture of steel or malleable scrap introduces a seri- ous uncertainty regarding the objectionable proper- ties these products may carry and, second, because at times there is very little, if any, difference in cost between scrap and pig iron. Consequently the only logical conclusion is that it would be greatly to the advantage of the manufacturer of air furnace cast- ings, which are subsequently to be annealed, if he could purchase the bulk of his pig iron having a carbon con- tent not in excess of 3 per cent. Stated in another way, if a 3 per cent carbon pig iron could be purchased to form the base of the mix- ture, control of the mixture, as far as carbon is con- ceryed, would be facilitated while the use of such iron would serve to eliminate many of the difficulties that exist today. The author said that he recognized the fact that the making of a pig iron running 3 per cent or lower in carbon cannot regularly be effected in the blast furnace proper but he does believe it would be possible and practical to accomplish this by means of an auxiliary installation in the cast house. Finally, if proper thought be given to the matter, it will be real- ized, he says, that in practically all ferrous metallur- gical processes a low carbon pig iron would be more suitable than one that is high in this element. Carbon in Basic Iron Under the title, “Carbon in Pig Iron,” Ralph H. Sweetser presented a paper which was the result of experiments conducted in 1923 to ascertain if possible the temperature of pig iron as it comes out of the blast furnace and the effect which this might have upon the total carbon and the character of the iron as related to the silicon content. Carbon in pig iron has been accepted but seldom specified, says the author. How it gets into the pig iron as it is being smelted in the blast furnace, and just why about so much of it enters into the pig iron in certain blast furnaces and more or less of it in other furnaces or in the same blast fur- nace under varying conditions, are problems which have not yet been satisfactorily solved. That the tem- perature or the kind of coke are factors is contended by the author. “For the past four years at our an- nual meeting,” said Mr. Sweetser, “I have asked the open-hearth men: ‘How much carbon do you want in your pig iron and why?’ A question which is still un- answered except for the counterquestion, ‘If we say how much carbon we want, can the blast furnace man control the percentage?’ ”’ The paper gives the results of the experiments re- ferred to and shows analyses of many different casts in some of which the total carbon runs as high as 4.50 to 4.96 per cent. The higher percentages were vi- dently obtained when a grade of coke known as Poca- hontas was used. The paper gives the details of the experiments, how the temperatures were taken and what the analyses represent. The author concludes that it is evident, within the limits of the particular tests referred to, that while making basic iron with by-product coke the carbon and silicon tend to increase with increased temperature and that the sulphur de- creases. Copper-Bearing Pig lron A paper of considerable length discussing “Carbon Characteristics of Copper-Bearing Pig Iron,” was pre- sented by W. B. Coleman of W. B. Coleman & Co., con- sulting metallurgists, Philadelphia. The paper is ac- companied by a large number of photomicrographs and tables, together with data furnished by the Robe- sonia Iron Co., Reading, Pa. The author concludes that pig irons have been produced of approximately the same chemical analysis but exhibit entirely dif- ferent physical properties when remelted and poured into castings. Also that a pig iron, on being remelted and tending to produce ferrite in the castings promotes greater machinability and softness, emphasizing the importance of the presence of ferrite in the structure of the iron. He also states that the additions of less February 24. 1927 than 1 per cent of metallic copper to molten iro, did not seem to alter the physical properties of the ca; ings. Discussion Varied and Profital|: A® interesting discussion accompanied th: tion of these papers with representativ, : 7 the foundry and steel-making interest taking act Among those who were heard from were )r. CH Herty, Jr., Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh; T. L. Josep), central experiment station, Bureau of Mines, Minn apolis, Minn; E. J. Lowery, Hickman, Williams (Co. Chicago; J. T. MacKenzie, chief chemist America; Cast Iron Pipe Co., Birmingham; Robert Job, vic president Milton Hersey Co., Ltd., Montreal, Canada: Prof. H. M. Boylston, Case School of Applied Science. Cleveland; E. P. Ross, Colonial Iron Co., Riddlesburg, Pa.; A. L. Feild, Central Alloy Steel Co., Canton, Ohio: Prof. D. J. Demorest, professor of metallurgy, Ohio State University, Columbus, and A. Marks, a British metallurgist, and Morten Grindal of Bergen, Norway One speaker stressed the need of the proposed re. search and commented upon the value of Doctor Mol- denke’s paper as emphasizing this necessity. For th foundry to progress it was pointed out that such study was needed and that systematic, cooperative r search would be valuable. There was some controversy as to the comparativ amounts of charcoal and coke necessary to make a tor of pig iron. The net result of various opinions ex pressed was that less charcoal was needed. One r sult of the research would probably be that it would bx found that certain kinds of fuel put more carbon int pig iron than others. The Use of Scrap On the question as to the use of scrap in making pig iron, one speaker insisted that no one knows just what scrap does to pig iron in the blast furnace. Do tor Moldenke pointed out that at one time so much scrap was being used in Germany and the iron pr duced was so bad that the use of scrap had to bt abandoned. Another speaker testified that a moderat amount of scrap was not harmful, but if the amount of coke used in the blast furnace is cut down, consi¢ erable oxidation is possible. Even in such a case, how ever, less trouble is experienced in the use of this iro! in the open-hearth than in foundries. That cupola operation is often to blame was the opinion of another participant in the discussion who pointed out that on plant which was using three brands of iron with unsat isfactory results tried three other brands, and th troubles continued. On the question of low carbon pig irons, brought out by Doctor Touceda’s paper, an opinion was ¢x- pressed that such iron was not desired, and that th blast furnace could not make such a product any mor cheaply, if at all. He insisted that nothing could be gained from the use of a low carbon pig iron. If 4 pig iron was high in total carbon, the quantity coulc be lowered by the use of more scrap. Amount of Carbon Has Little Effect Doctor Herty, in presenting a report of the su! committee on carbon in pig iron of the open-heart! committee of the institute, gave a brief recital of some of the work that had been done. He emphasized " particular the fact that low silicon pig irons conta! more oxides than high silicon pig irons. He felt that the investigation that he was conducting would resv” in finding out that one cause of the trouble the = man is having is the presence of oxides, particular'y as silicates, and that the amount or form of carbon in pig iron has nothing to do with open-hearth troubles. He suggested that, if foundrymen and blast turnac men get together in an investigation, only fundamen** should be considered. The question of the use of open-hearth slag 45 “ charge in the blast furnace was brought uP by hat speaker. The testimony of some operators was = 3 to 4 per cent had been used, but that they did not February 24, 1927 it regularly. The main object, however, ver the manganese content. ttle interest was created by the suggestion pigs be cast for melting purposes. The -timony in the discussion of this point was this had been tried it was a distinct Grindal, of Norway, who has been in this nee the foundrymen’s convention in Septem- ying various metallurgical problems, paid a the work of Doctor Moldenke in foundry and also stated that nowhere in the world ich attention been paid to the study of cupola r foundry troubles than in the United States. larks, of England, spoke of some British ex- ; during the war, and made the rather inter- THE IRON AGE 561 esting statement that it had been possible during the war, when high-grade materials were difficult to get, to produce castings equal to those made from charcoal iron by a careful attention to details of foundry opera- tions. One important factor in good foundry practice was attention to the temperature of the mold, the study of which he believed was vital in the production of good castings. The round table discussion, which started in the morning, was resumed after the luncheon hour, so great was the interest. The conclusion of the conference was that the opinions expressed would be carefully studied and that a recommendation be made to the iron and steel committee as to just what kind of a research should be inaugurated and how it should be carried out. Presentation of Awards and Other Events iT? feature of the banquet, Wednesday evening, 16, at the Waldorf-Astoria, which was a color- nd largely attended affair, was the presentation of and medals. Following brief addresses by the president, Samuel A. Taylor, and the new ent, Everette L. DeGolyer, the toastmaster, B. Stearns, mining and mechanical engineer, , Colo., initiated the presentation of the medals. ture this year was the appointment of sponsors each recipient, who in brief speeches introduced persons upon whom the honors were conferred. rhe first award of a medal established this year by 'r. William L. Saunders, past president of the insti- tute, known as the mining medal, was presented to David W. Brunton, who was introduced by Charles Rand, chairman of the Saunders gold medal com- mittee. Doctor Brunton, who has served two terms as president of the institute and one as president of the American Mining Congress, is a consulting engineer n Denver, Colo. He is prominent in many technical societies here and abroad, and was cited for valuable work in the report to Congress in the year 1918 by he Secretary of the Navy. The fifth recipient of the James Douglas Medal, awarded for distinguished achievement in non-ferrous metallurgy, was Dr. Zay Jeffries, consulting metal- urgist for the Aluminum Co. of America and several ther large companies, and at present treasurer of the \merican Society for Steel Treating, with which or- gar — he has been intimately connected since its riy history. Doctor Jeffries was introduced by Dr. Paul D. ‘erica, research director, International Nickel Co., New York, and chairman of the Institute of Metals ision of the mining engineers. Among Doctor Jef- ‘ many contributions to science, those relating to ‘tungsten, X-ray analysis, and the development of alumi- _and high-strength light alloys stand out promi- ntly. A notable achievement was his presentation, llaboration with R. S. Archer, of a general theory | the hardening of metals and alloys and the writing ‘ a book entitled “The Science of Metals.” The board ' directors of the American Society for Steel Treat- ” was present by invitation of the institute. This year the bestowal of the J. E. Johnson, Jr., ard was made to Thomas L. Joseph, superintendent, rth central experiment station, United States Bureau ' Mines, Minneapolis. The award was established in ‘<1 to encourage young men, working along lines of esearch followed by the distinguished metallurgist nose name it bears. Dr. John A. Mathews, vice- sident Crucible Steel Co. of America, and chairman he iron and steel committee of the institute, intro- Mr. Joseph, stating that the award was be- ved this year for the development of an experi- tal blast furnace and for research on factors con- ng contact between gases and solids in the shaft. Two Steel Meetings Scheduled ‘wo important meetings are scheduled in the near under the auspices of the institute. A session anganese is being arranged by the iron and steel ittee for the third week in April in Cleveland. Vf vlé At this meeting various phases of the manganese problem will be discussed, particularly the use of man- ganiferous iron ores, the recovery of manganese from slags, the conservation of manganese and the benefits of the use of more manganese in open-hearth practice. It is hoped that Sir Robert Hadfield of England can be present. On May 3, 4 and 5 a meeting of the open-hearth committee has been scheduled at the Hotel Statler in Buffalo, and the intention is to have a discussion of a Dé: ZAY JEF- FRIES was pre- sented with the James Douglas medal. His contributions to the lit- erature and discussions of ferrous and non-fer- rous technology rank him as one of the lead- ing American metallur- gists. series of questions instead of the presentation of a number of technical papers. Institute of Metals to Meet with Steel Treaters A decision was reached by the executive committee of the Institute of Metals division that it will hold technical sessions with the American Society for Steel Treating at its annual convention in Detroit, Sept. 19 to 23. A joint session with the steel metallurgists as well as separate sessions are planned. The moving forward of the annual convention of the American Foundrymen’s Association to June, in conjunction with which such meetings have generally been held, is a reason for the change. The Italian iron and steel industry is reported to have been facing a crisis during the past few months, with the output of ferrous metal products declining sharply, especially during November and December, and the whole situation aggravated by the general credit stringency, says Assistant Commercial Attaché A. A. Osborne, Rome. Fire damaged billet house No. 2, South Works, American Steel & Wire Co., Worcester, Mass., to an extent estimated at $10,000. Billet production, how- ever, was delayed only a few hours. pit 2) aie ag MS CRU MEET) A bs 5.4) TS cae Sea eae eee snr Eliminating Blast Furnacein Norway Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen Gases Utilized—Metal Produced Practically Free of Carbon—May Use Poor Ores Without Beneficiation N f “nave tong st in various parts of the world have long striven in vain to repeat under modern conditions, on an economic basis, the ancient art of producing iron and steel direct from nat- ural sources, avoiding the carburizing process in the blast furnace, with the necessary later oxidation of the excess carbon. Prominent names in several lead- ing countries have been associated with the task: Wil- liam Beardmore and Hornsey in England, Bassét and Vermaes in France and Belgium, Sieurin and Gronwald in Sweden, Bourcoud in Canada. In this country the Bureau of Mines, in “Reports of Investigations, serial 2656,” discusses the various developments. Although scientifically attractive, the idea of pro- ducing iron direct from its ore cannot alone account for all the time, labor and capital invested in the at- tempts to arrive at a practical solution. The real motive power behind past and present efforts may Fig. zZ Diagrammatic Represe ntation of the Units Forming the System. a ore; b=crusher; c—second crusher; ; d=preheating furnace; e—reducing ln: cooling chamber and steam producer; g=crushing mill; h=mag- etic separating drums ; i= briquetting press; j=briquetted iron sponge; k= gangue; l—ow or tar; m=oil tank: n—high-tension electric furnace; o electrode; p=—generator; q=coke ad- dition; r—recuperator; s=gas-wash- ing apparatus; t=gas storage bell; u=gas circulating pump; v—gas me- ter; w=contact apparatus for reac- tion CO+H.0—-H,.+-CO:; x«x=—steam injection; y—compressor; z—regen- erative absorption of carbon dioxide gas Kal? Electrode ligh -Jension Furnace Entry for Coke Supply alt ) re iY Injection of Y GF Crude 0)/ or Jar Gas Inlet — } Electrode Fig. 1. High-Tension Electric Fur- nace and Gas Generator. Arrows indicate flow of gas oe are safely be said to be the ever-present human desire to force the metal to yield its utmost in its service to mankind. It is a sad fact that, while the primitive methods used by the ancient metallurgist—producing as he did iron and steel direct from its natural sources—resulted in products of high quality, the ever increasing quan- tity production of modern times has been effected part- ly at the sacrifice of quality. Hence the resorting to duplex and triplex processes. Even at that, the pig iron produced under basic conditions in the blast fur- nace evidently, from its very birth, inherits weaknesses which cannot be overcome by any known means. Char- coal pig iron, produced under an acid slag, and strong- ly reduced, is the best known material for quality pro- duction; the high cost, however, prohibits its adoption for real quantity utilization. Knowing the high standard of the products of his ancestor craftsman, the modern metallurgist has natu- rally pondered over the possibilities of finding means, on an economically profitable basis, for large quantity production, to return to the principle of producing iron from its natural sources, without melting the metal. The fact that the largest producer of steel in the world is to start a plant for producing steel from the kiln in a plant at Lorain, Ohio, shows that many practical difficulties must have been overcome. It may be of interest to readers of THE IRON AGE to learn about the present work being done in Europe, where important German concerns—Krupp and Be- dische Anilin und Sodafabriken—are cooperating, with others, in A/S Norsk Staal, Trondhjem, Norway: The leader of the experimental plant there, E. Edwin, a Norwegian. metallurgist educated in Germany, bas conducted his research along original lines. In a paper read before leaders of the Swedish iron industry at Grengsberg, Sweden, on May 14, 1926, Mr. Edwin tells of the work done and the results achieved. Reduction with Solid Agents In their attack on the problem, experimenters aoe mostly used carbon mixed with the ore, heated to ™° S than 1500 deg. Fahr. This form of direct reductio *Translated from Teknisk Ukeblad, by Morten Grindal, Plainfield, N. J. February 24, 1927 la evidently be associated with less trouble than ve forts to utilize redueing gases only. The Bureau = Mines Bassét, Hornsey, Beardmore and others all Sdlanl i systems based on reduction with solid agents. The dire + reduction is, however, strongly endothermic. A cor siderable quantity of heat must be added during she process and, as the best working temperatures are sch about 1850 deg. Fahr., local overheating may oceur. Apart from formation of silicates, such over- heating is likely to result in the highly objectionable aa n of any phosphorus present, which cannot be ENERGY CONSUMPTION 400 Swith at Without Recuperation. No Secondary Gas Grculation 00 8 WwW: = ” Fou? Recy, ation gna Secondar Gas Creulation 0s | 1S 6-™ Ton Fe Fig. 3. Consumption of Electrical Energy and Carbon in Relation to Gas Circulation removed without melting. Pure ores and charcoal may be used, if economic considerations are not prohibitive. The problem before A/S Norsk Staal was a difficult one: To produce high-grade iron sponge when using low-grade ore without charcoal. Right from the start the firm wanted to work with low-grade raw materials, because of the important economic advantages of so doing. Mr. Edwin states the price of usable ore to be about 40 to 45 marks per ton of iron produced at the blast furnace in Westphalia, Germany, while ore high n silicates may be delivered at a plant situated at the western fjords of Norway for 15 marks per ton of iron produced. Similar conditions seemingly exist in Sweden. If it were possible to utilize the cheap ores, without preliminary expensive, treatments, a gain would be made in the competition with the blast fur- nace metal, of 25 to 30 marks per ton of iron, or about 5 to 40 per cent of the total selling price. Market conditions excluded the use of charcoal, thus enforeing the use of reducing gases produced from coal or coke. Mr. Edwin was quite aware of the advantages of gas reduction, which he claims to be: 1. The possibility of utilizing poor ores in their natural condition, as the low reducing temperatures ind security against local overheating prevent re- duction of any impurities in the gangue. 2. The reduction can be accomplished practically without any heat absorption, when using carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases. When properly solated against heat losses, no heat need be applied to the reduction chamber itself. 3. The impurities generally present in most kinds coal may be easily removed from the gas produced therefrom. All impurities in the ore, such as phosphorus, will, after the completion of the process, stil] remain in the rock in its original com- bined form, and may be mechanically separated m the metal. 4. It is possible to produce a metal practically emically free of any carbon content. Difficulties to Be Overcome The efficiency of the reducing gas is very low; r carbon monoxide hardly more than 25 per cent be made effective. As the calorific value of ’ gas is always more expensive than that of the d from which it has been produced, it is evident of 7 i THE IRON AGE that special arrangements must be made ‘to over- come the economic difficulties. 2. Further, as the problem presents itself, the demand for pure carbon and hydrogen gases is enormous. 3. Again, these gases had to be heated to 1850 to 2000 deg. Fahr. without changes in their chemical constitution taking place. To attain a better utilization of the reducing gases, it would evidently be desirable to regenerate the prod- ucts of reduction, mainly CO,, by treating this gas with carbon, thus producing fresh carbon monoxide. The all-important achievement by A/S Norsk Staal is the fact that suitable technical means for such effective regeneration of the reducing gases really were de- veloped, This problem was solved by means of the long, stable, high-tension electric are of the type used in the nitrate industry by the Badische Anilin und Soda- fabriken. The calorific heat absorbed by one cubic meter of CO, gas in its regeneration to CO, 1800 kilo- gram-calories, is supplied to the gas in a fraction of a second in the high-tension electric are. A _high- tension furnace of the type used by A/S Norsk Staal is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1. High-Tension Electric Arc Furnace Such a furnace mainly consists of a tube several meters long, in which the high-tension electric arc is maintained in stable equilibrium, while the gas to be treated passes from one end of the tube to the other in strongly whirly motion. Some of the carbon re- quired for the regeneration is added in the tube as crude oil, hydrocarbon gases, tar or even pulverized coal. To secure efficient work, however, the gases must leave the furnace at a temperature of 2900 to 3100 deg. Fahr., which is too high for direct use in the kiln. The sensible heat from 3100 to 2000 deg. Fahr. 2500;— Kil owatt-Hours per Ton of Fe Ges Ratio Fig. 4. Relation of Electrical Energy ire- ments and Carbon Consumption to Gas Effec- tiveness is utilized by passing gas through a layer of coke or coal, where the regeneration of the carbon dioxide ix completed. This system of gas regeneration, although requir. ing considerable experimental research, now worker with a stability which may be compared with the even working of the ordinary electric globe. Fig. 2 illustrates the principles of the process used by A/S Norsk Staal. Regenerated gas enters the kiln at a temperature of about 2000 deg. Fahr. and passes over the ore coming in from the other end of the rotat- ing barrel, previously heated to about 1700 deg. Fahr. The gases leave the kiln at a temperature of about 1500 to 1700 deg., the sensible heat being utilized in a recuperator in heating the gas which is to enter the regenerating furnace. Thus reduced in temperature to about 400 deg. Fahr., the used gases are purified before entering the storage bell. When required, the stored gas then passes through the recuperator, where eee ne etnias: coher + natn ah a a , . ae ee ee aE ES nN earn Se Tare it is preheatéd to 1100 to 1300 deg. Fahr. and is again sent through the high-tension regenerative furnace. Ore from the pit is crushed to about % in. and in this form treated in an oxidizing atmosphere at about 1650 deg. in a rotating kiln, before entering the reduc- ing kiln. After cooling, the treated material is crushed and the iron produced is separated from the gangue. Treatment of the Gas The apparatus shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 as an addition to the gas circulating system, although not used in the experimental plant at Trondhjem, forms an important part of the process, when operating on a commercial basis. It is a well known fact that the re- ducing gases, working in a rotating kiln, are only 15 to 17 per cent efficient; that is, the gas leaving the re- ducing chamber consists of 75 to 80 per cent reducing components. The utilized gases are returned to the regenerative system. It is, however, necessary to get rid of the oxygen from the ore and the carbon added for the reduction. Excess gas can of course be burnt and the heat utilized for some purpose, although the Shue > W i> . C A. 7 " AK SABIE OCIONTIINNOR “fy Sieg < , 564 THE IRON AGE by VANVE Sener TN TOPRT THAN T TART IASST TA TIA TIAW TTR ORS TAR February 24, 1997 treated in the contact apparatus. While jy instance the carbon and energy consumpti aoe depend on the utilization of the gases, the consumption when 10 per cent of the circulating gases is treated in the contact apparatus, is materially lower Further. the power and carbon required are practically made independent of the gas efficiency. co In Fig. 4 the ratio at the exit of the gaso CO, from the kiln is used as abscissa. This fig shows that a change in the gas ratio from 22 ; results in only a small increase in the consumption electric energy, while the carbon requirement drops somewhat. ' ire clearly Course of the Experiments When the research work was begun at Trondhjen in 1920, it was carried on for four months during the summer, when hydroelectric power was available. The first thing to be tried out was the regenerative vac Ka system. In 1921 a vertical shaft furnace was intr iMLTO- / Su x | lel Hf TWAIN TTR ITA TUPTAN Fig. 5. Section Through the Experimental Furnace Illustrated in Fig. 6. The high-tension electric fur- ace and gas generator at left differ in detail from those shown in Fig. 1. Both the gas head, at left end of the rotating kiln, and the charging head, at right, are patented forms of air locks gas is too valuable to be dispensed with in such a manner. The principles to be followed in the further utilization of the valuable spent gases were derived from experiences gained in the Haber process of syn- thetic ammonia production. If a gas, consisting of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen along with water vapor, passes over a specially prepared iron sponge, the carbon monoxide will reduce the water vapor and practically totally be reverted to carbon dioxide, while a corre- sponding quantity of hydrogen is formed. If, for in- stance, a gas consisting of 25 per cent hydrogen, 15 per cent carbon dioxide and 60 per cent carbon monoxide, along with a suitable quantity of water vapor, is passed over the previously described catalyzer, the gas leaving the apparatus will consist of 52 per cent hydrogen and 46 per cent carbon dioxide and a couple of per cent of carbon monoxide. The carbon dioxide is easily removed from the mixture by means of regenerative absorption in compressed water, and the hydrogen is returned to the circulating system. Only 10 to 15 per cent of the circulating gases need be treated in this manner to get rid of the excess oxygen. Practically 100 per cent efficiency for the carbon used is obtained in this way. The addition of hydrogen to the reducing gases has proved very valuable. The steam is generated by the heat in the products from the kiln while cooling, and the contact process over the iron sponge is in itself exothermic, no heat having to be supplied. The apparatus required has been effectively standardized in the synthetic am- monia process, and is simple. Figs: 3 and 4 show how this contact apparatus for secondary gas circulation affects the consumption of carbon and electric current. In Fig. 3 the gas circulat- ing in the main system, calculated in cubic meters per gross ton of iron produced, is used as abscissa; carbon consumption and electric energy required are used as ordinates. The two upper graphs, for energy and carbon respectively, show the conditions for gas circulation as used in Trondhjem; the lower graphs, the same relations when 10 per cent of the gases are duced, to study the system while using rich Germa! ores. Several metallurgical difficulties presented them- selves. Few ores proved stable under reducing heat treat- ment. Thus, several ores were pulverized high up in the shaft and obstructed the passage of the — Others sintered together at a temperature around 1500 deg. Fahr., and, after the furnace had run for a few weeks, the material would even adhere to its lining Mr. Edwin states that, in spite of the difficulties en- countered, the shaft furnace may be used when certain suitable ores are treated. The rotating kiln would evidently serve the purpose far better in most cases, and such a furnace was built in 1922, the experiments to be carried out the following year. For four summer months attempts were made t reduce fines of Norwegian origin. The result, how- ever, was negative, many difficulties arising, the worst of which was sintering of the material, fusing to the brick lining. This trouble—encountered by all who have tried to solve the problem of gas reduction of iron ores—probably constitutes the main reason for the many failures. 1: Analyses made in the laboratories at Trondhjem during the winter 1923-24 showed that three or ae different types of sintering in various complicated wal tions took place. It was decided that fines could be used only after preliminary sintering treatment. ~ tempts made in 1924 proved that it was technically possible to reduce fines with gas in the kiln, se the material had been subjected to a light sinter’ process. To attain more economical results, mere: it would evidently be necessary to use cheaper 8 more suitable raw materials, and it was decided = e vert to the initial plan of working with untreated or as they were taken from the mines. Limitations of a Miniature Plant as a smau The experimental plant at Trondhjem w anew one. The well known fact that the thermal ae of a minor plant is but a fraction of that of 2 Sm" construction of large capacity had to be considere¢- all ancy lar 24, 1927 To be to estimate the economical possibilities for ‘yrnace working on the ordinary industrial scale, cilia were made previous to the experiments. sie ired that, for a production of 140 to 180 Se the capacity of the plant at Trondhjem— consumption would be 5420 kwhr. per gross f produced, while a production of 2 tons per would give a figure of about 2200 kwhr., the ndary gas circulation through the regenerative con- aratus not being considered in either case. ¢ an official trial run of two weeks’ duration controlled by several authorities, the power nsumption averaged 5340 kwhr. per gross ton of iron produced. This close result indicates that the theoretical calculations were reliable. It may safely be stated that the electric energy required for a plant f s iron production per hr. would be about 2000 kwhr. per gross ton of iron produced, this figure in- luding power for all auxiliary machinery as well. The nsumption of electrodes is negligible, amounting to nly a fraction of an ounce per ton of iron. “Dunderland” ore was used during the official trial. This is of Norwegian origin, containing about 35 per ent iron, as hematite and magnetite in about even proportions. Sulphur analyzes about 0.1 per cent; phosphorus, 0.3 to 0.4 per cent. Coke and crude oil, in the proportions of 7 to 3, served as reducing agents, the latter being added to the circulating gases in the high-tension regenerative electric furnace. The con- sumption of reducing agents was determined to be 33 per cent by weight of iron produced. The ash content f the coke, which was weighed moist, was 10 per cent. It is estimated that industrial production will result in a demand for reducing agents—coke and crude oil—of 23 per cent of the weight of iron sponge only. Hundreds of analyses of the finished products were made, showing the following percentage figures for maximum, minimum and average: Maximum Minimum Average C ieee 0.491 0.105 0.26 S. .seeeee 0.02 0.01 0.011 Pissaamee 0.026 0.003 0.016 Calculations have been made for a plant at a fjord in Norway, the capacity to be 25,000 gross tons of iron sponge per year. Figures, in Norwegian currency, for the cost of production per gross ton of iron are given in Table I, with translation at 26c. per krona. Table I—Cost of Producing Iron by Gas Method Kr. tons of ifon ore at Kroner 5.00......... 15.00 $3.90 © kwhr. at Mir, O00 ash obi bece 10.00 2.60 5. coke at Kr. 36.00 per ton.......... 6.50 1.70 ' lb. crude oil at Kr. 100,00 per ton.... 5.00 1.30 lb. lime at Kr. 20 per ton.............. 0.50 0.13 “SU Ib. coal (ammaMllh..o20 deb cen atadeiee 2.00 0.52 swartes and WRQUR, ss<0c0s akb case cee 3.75 1.00 netractories and repairs..........c.ccccece 3.50 0.90 oe ee ee 2.25 0.60 vernead GXPONNOR. . soos ddwec ude 4.50 1.20 Production cost, Kroner...........+++ 53.00 $13.75 rest and depreciation of capital, 12 per : 240,000 of Kr. 2,000,000 per ton, THE IRON AGE 565 seen from Fig. 5. The coke is introduced into the system through an airtight inlet, and passes down a comparatively long shaft before reaching the hot zone. Due to the intense heat of the gas coming from the electric furnace, the slag in the coke melts, collects in the bottom of the apparatus, and is tapped off at in- tervals. The hot gases are cooled while carbon dioxide is reduced. Before entering the kiln, the gases pass a layer of lime, where the sulphur present is removed. The ro- tating kiln is 33 ft. long, and lined with firebrick to an internal diameter of 26 in. The gas locks at the kiln heads are patente