| Show revolutionary CHANGES IN THE metallurgy OF IRON PROMISED PROMISE revolutionary changes in the metallurgy of iron by chic production costs should be materially decreased and quantities of low grade ore and smelting smelling sm elting fuels now considered wort be made available as the result of the use of oxygen and oaf ox air in blast furnace practice are suggested in in a report rep just made to the department of the interior by a committee ap pointed by the bureau of mines to study the problem in the past it has been necessary in the production of 0 one the ton of pig iron to pass three tons of inert nitrogen throng through the blast furnace resulting in serious heat and metal losses a elimination of such losses by the substitution of en or has s mixture of oxygen and air has long been considered but D not been put into practice on account of the inability to P produce such oxygen in in quantities at suf sufficiently f low cost to make mak application industrially possible man nin view of the many recent developments in ox Y t sillo 5 and andrec crea 0 considering the increasing cost quality of the nations raw materials the bureau of mines mm gp pointed an advisory committee to study the problem leni ot of and the of oxygen or oxygenated air to metallurgical of e the lied processes M H roberts of new york is chairman committee this committee has made a thorough survey of the exist the iriv processes for the manufacture of 99 per cent oy oxygen yge gd d conclusions reached are that the comparatively small arn srn t for the product has prevented the installation of I 1 large ar ge u uni cornies nor nies es able for metallurgical processes with corresponding eco e CO t of af and that b by y far the greater proportion of the he presen and set oxygen represents the cost of transportation storage stora alc SC ailt to Q vice large oxygen manufacturing plants can be bui bu metallurgical purposes directly which will be capable of delivering oxygen at a cost not to exceed 3 per gross ton in brief the committee finds that the oxygen industry is now able to make plants for supplying large quantities of oxygen to metallurgical industries at low cost the data collected by the bureau of mines committee indicate that the production and utilization of cheap oxygen should also accomplish great economies in the metallurgy of zinc it is believed that similar economies can be effected in the metallurgy of copper and in fact in all branches of nonferrous non ferrous metallurgy great possibilities are pointed out in the application of oxygen in the manufacture of artificial gas and for various other industrial uses the findings of the committee on these theoretical studies are of such revolutionary character that the members feel the strong advisability of conducting experimental work to verify the truth thereof as well as to make changes in furnace design and processes in order to take full advantage of the probable benefits to be gained the committee has developed plans for experimentally determining ter the effects of oxygen enriched air upon the operation of the blast furnace and it is recommended that these plans be put into effect as the first step of an extended research as to the general applicability of oxygen to metallurgy the knowledge that german industrial concerns are working actively on the application of oxygenated air to metallurgical processes has greatly concerned american iron and steel interests and the industry is making insistent demands for research work of this nature |
