US404723A - Ciirty - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2' sheets -Sheet 1.

W. F. M. MQCARTY. METHOD OF PRODUCING STEEL DIRBGT FROM ORE.

No. 404,723. PatentedJune 4, 1889.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. F. M. MOCARTY.

METHOD OF, PRODUCING STEEL DIREGT FROMVORE. No. 404,723. Patented June 4, 1889.

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IVILLIAM F. M. MCOARTY, OF HAGERSTOWVN, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF PART TO JANE LOGAN, OF SAME PLACE, CATHERINE EISHON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,' AND HEMAN D. IVALLBRIDGE.

METHOD OF PRODUCING STEEL DIRECT FROM ORE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,723, dated June 4, 1889.

Application filed February 26, 1889. Sen'al No, 301,297. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- The upper end of the stack has an outlet a for e it known that I, ILLIAM F. M. MO- the gases and products of combustion, and O 'RTY,acitizen of the United States, residing has a side flue P, cont-rolled by a damper a, at Hagerstown, in the county of \Vashington which can direct the products of combustion and State of Maryland,haveinvented new and either out at the top or into the side flues P,

useful Improvements in the Method of Prothe latter communicating with the downducing Steel Direct from Ores; and I do herecomer flue or pipe P, leading to the air-heater by declare the following to be a full, clear, or hot-blast producer L. On the opposite side and exact description of said invention, referof the stack is shown a heater M, for heating 1o ence being had to the accompanying drawthe gases to be used in working the charge. ings, and to the letters or figures of reference The converter below the bosh of the stack marked thereon, which form a part of this communicates through aValve-pipe m witha specification. second converter or gas-extractor J, this pipe My invention consistsin the process of proopening into the converter A at some (lisr 5 d ueing steel direct from ore; and to obtain a tance from the bottom, in order that the full understanding of the process it should be molten metal at the upper part of the constated that heretofore it has been impossible verter A may flow out as it is treated into the to produce steel direct from the ore for many gasextractor or converter J. The receiverJ reasons, the principal one of which has been communicates through a suitable opening 20 to keep the mass of ore and fuel separate with a vacuum-chamber K, or some equiva- 7o While being acted upon by the calorific energy lent device for producing a vacuum.

of the burning fuel. At different heights in the stack I provide To carry out my process I have designed suitable tuyeres for the introduction into the the apparatus as shown in the accompanying charge at different zones of gas or gases, or

2 5 drawings, in which A combined air and gas, as hereinafter de- Figure 1 is a transverse section of a blastscribed. The uppermost setE of tuyeresI prefurnace,.showing one manner of constructing fer to arrange at such a point that the gases the stack in which the bosh thereof is shown introduced thereby may pass directly into the in spherical form and connected with conupper part of the charge of ore while the next 30 verter through a narrow passage-way. Fig. lower set of tuyeres F is at some distance 2 is a similar section of another manner of above the offset '0. A third set of tuyeres G constructing the stack and converter, showare introduced just below the offset 1;, and ing the vacuum-chamber also in section and another set H into the bosh of the stack, and the preferred relation of the air and gasa final set into the converter A.

35 heater to the stack. Fig. 3 is a horizontal Formed in the internal wall of the stack, section through the line a: m, Fig. 2. and projecting therefrom, are a series of The stack may be of any usual or convenshelves inclining inward with their inner ient construction provided at some distance edges overhanging the ones next below, as from the lower end with an annular offset to shown in Fig. 2, or the stack is provided with 40 support. the charge of fuel and ore introa central wall having shelves projecting thereduced through the opening D near the top. from alternating with those projecting from Below the offset is what I term the bosh B the wall of the stack, the edges of each overof the stack which communicates through a lapping the others, for a purpose hereinafter central opening with the converter A below. referred to.

45 In Fig. lthebosh is made in spherical form In carrying out my process, after the ore and communicates with the producer through has been sorted it is cracked up'in sizes suita contracted passage-way (I, while in Fig. 2 able for the crusher, and after being crushed P- said bosh is made in tapering cylindrical it is passed to the ore-mill to be reduced to form, with its lower portion contracted to form powder, when a proper charge thereof with 50 the passage-way between it and the converter. sufficient flux and coke or other fuel to start I00 the operation is introduced into the stack through the charging-opening I) and falls upon the shelving. Atmospheric air, with carbonic oxide and hydrogen, is then introduced through the tuyeres E and ignited to start the fire. Hydrogen and carbonic oxide are next introduced through the tuyeres F into the body of the charge, and also at H, if desired, until the mass is in a state of combustion. I then introduce into the upper part of the charge through the tuyeres E pure hydrogen gas, to thoroughly deoxidize and reduce the ore by the removal of oxygen and sulphur contained therein, leaving the iron in a free metallic state or spongy mass.

Although I have said that carbonic oxide should be introduced through the intermediate tuyeres F G II with the hydrogen, I wish it to be understood that the necessary carbon may be there introduced with the hydrogen by other means. For instance, powdered carbon or liquid hydrocarbon oil or carbonic oxide may be introduced with the hydrogen; but I prefer carbonic oxide.

The relative proportions of hydrogen and carbon introduced through the intermediate tuyeres will vary to some extent with the character of the ores under treament. As soon as the metalbegins to fuse under the intenseheat produced by the introduction of the gases and air at different zones, as above described, the molten metal will commence to fall down through the bosh into the converter A, when the pure hydrogen and superheated air are turned on through the tuyeres I to dccarbonize and purify the molten metal, which has been partly acted upon by gases introduced through the tuyeres II in its descent through the bosh B of the furnace.

The oxygen of the air and the hydrogen introduced into the molten metal in the converter A produce an intense heat and remove the silicon and other impurities and a large portion of the carbon in the metal, and by regulating these gases according to-the nature of the ores under treatment a pure homogeneous steel will be produced.

In some instances where it is found that the molten metal in the converter A has not received sniiicient carbon in its descent through the furnace the proper proportion of carbon in the form of finely-divided graphite spiegeleisen with cyanogen and air may be introduced through the tuyeres I.

\Vhen it is determined that the steel is of the desired quality, the valve in the outletpipe m is opened and the overflow of the metal takes place into the second receiver J. When this chamber has been iilled with sufficient metal for the run, the valve in the pipe m is closed and connection with the vacuumehamber is opened. This will insure the withdrawal from the molten mass of any gases which may have remained therein. llomogenous steel is thus produced free from the usual defects, such as blow-holes, honeycombs, or other faultsl The operation, as will be readily seen, can be made continuous by connecting the openin g D with a hopper, which can be so arranged as to govern the supply, so that a continuous fusion is going on automatically, the metal falling in the form of ore and flux intimately mixed from shelf to shelf of its own gravity, the shelves being arranged 011 a proper incline, and the material falling in a continuous manner from shelf to shelf while being heated by the gaseous fuel.

Having now described my improved process and one means for carrying the same into effeet, what I claim as my invention is l. The process which consists in introducing into a highly-heated charge of iron ore and flux hydrogen gas, and subsequently at different points into the charge hydrogen and carbonaceous matter-in a state of combustion in order to melt and subsequently carbonize the metal, substantially as set forth.

2. The process consisting in introducing into the highly-heated charge of iron ore and flux hydrogen gas to reduce the ore, subsequently introducing hydrogen and earbonaceous matter with air at diiferent points into the same charge to meltthemetal, and finally introducing hydrogen and atmospheric air with or without carbon into the molten metal to convert it into steel, substantially as set forth.

The process herein described of produc in g steel direct from the ore, said process consisting in first reducing the ore by introducin g pure hydrogen into the charge of highly-heated ore and flux, then introducing hydrogen and carbonaceous matter with air to melt the metal, and subjecting the molten metal in its passage from the stack to the converter to the action of hydrogen and carbonaceous matter, substantially as described.

4. Theherein described continuous process of producing steel direct from the ore, said process consisting in first introducing hydro gen in the charge of highly-heated ore and flux to reduce the ore, then subjecting the charge to the action of hydrogen and carbonaceous material with air to melt the metal, then subjecting the molten metal to the action of purifying gases and air, and finally subj ecting the molten steel thus produced to the action of a vacuum, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VM. F. M. MCOARTY.

\Vitnesses:

ALEX. Manon, WARREN C. STONE.

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