US1208596A

US1208596A - Process of treating ferrotungsten.

Info

Publication number: US1208596A
Application number: US11447916A
Authority: US
Inventors: Philip M Mckenna
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1916-08-11
Filing date: 1916-08-11
Publication date: 1916-12-12
Anticipated expiration: 1933-12-12

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.HHILIP M. MOKENNA, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

' PROCESS OF TREATING FERROTUNGSTEI No Drawing.

substances, particularly sulfur, phosphorus and carbon, in objectionable quantities, espccially whenthe product is to be used in the n'ianufacture of what is known as high speed steel. 7

The present invention has for its object the elimination, or the, n'iaterial reduction in percentage, of such deleterious substances, and especially the elimination of the sulfur content I In accordance with the present invention the lump ferro tungsten alloy is reduced to rus and carbon materially reduced, while, the

a connninuted condition, preferably by grinding. Thiscomminuted ferro tungsten is then subjected to tl e flCtlOIl,0'f an acid which acts upon the*materia-l to combine with some or all of the impurities, with the result that the sulfur may bepractically eliminated and the percentage of phosphometallic condition of the form-tungsten alloy (iron tungstide) is snot changed. After treatment with the acid the comminuted sub--' stance is washed with water to eliminaterthe acid and any materials dissolved therein, and subsequently dried for use, The acid which is preferably used is muriatic acid of commercial gravity that is to say, approximately of 20 Baumc, and the proportion of acid used is preferably about thirty-seven and one half per cent. by wei ht of the ferro tungsten treated,- but acids aving similar properties may be employed? as will be obvious to chemists familiar with metallurgical cl'ieinistry. For example, another acid which might be employed, although, at this time somewhat more, expensive, is hydrofluoric acid; or sulfurioacidpmight be used, the use of the latter, however, requiring that the sulfates shall be completely washed out, and as :1 commercial proposition this may be somewhat more difiicult and expensive than the washing necessary where muriatic acid is Specification of Letters Patent.

sten. 3. The process of removing sulfur from Patented n 1:2, 1911;.

Application filed August 11, 1916. Serial No. 114. i79.

in the practical utilization of the invention, it is found. that, while the sulfur is removed and the percentage of phophorus and carbon materially reduced, there is also some remoyal. of manganese .and iron; although the greater portion of the. iron remains com: bincd with the tungsteii and is not acted upon. Thus, the percentage of tungsten is increased and while the chemical reactions are not deemed to be. important for a complete Iinderstandii1g of the invention; nor is it believed that the action is fully understood at this time, still it may be stated that it is applicants belief'that the sulfur is completely volatilized as hydrogen sulfid, and that the phosphorus and carbon, or a large proportion of the phosphorus and carbon are removed by the formation of hydrogen carbids and phosphids. Regardless ofthe chemical re-action in connection with any one of these substances, the process set forth results in the elimination of'the sulfur and a material reduction in the phosphorusand carbon content-s, without changing the me tallic condition of the iron tungstid' alloy,-

a result which is of great commercial value in the production of form tungsten.

After the reaction has taken place the solution is completely washed out of the remaining: ferro-tungsten with water, and the conuninuted form-tungsten itself is dried, when it is ready for subsequent use. either in the manufacture of high speed steel or other wise.

\Vhat is claimed is 1. The process of treating sineltecl ferrotungsten alloy for the removal of metalloid impurities, which consists incomminuting the sinelted mass, then subjecting the comninu'ted material to the action of an acid which will combine with the impurities in the production of hydrogen compounds and which will not combine with the metallic alloy.

i 2. The process of treating smelted ferret tungsten alloy for the removal of metalloid impurities, which consists in comminutin'g' which will combine with the impurities in the production of hydrogen compounds and which will not ,combine with the metallic alloy, then Washing out the acid solvent and finally drying the comminuted form-tung- 5 not combinqaigith the 11 1eta11ic tungsten alloy,

*and drying the comn inIitGdQQZjO QQQI;

4. The process of removing sulfur, phosphorus and carbon from'smelted ferro-tungsten, which consists in grinding the smelted mass, then treating it with muriutic acid of approximately 20 Baum and finally washing and dryli "11 commmuted product.

PHILIP M. MGKENNA.