‘W. R. KELLY.
TREATMENT OF METALS.
APPLIOATION FILED JULY '27, 1908.
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1,019,965,
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Patented Mar. 12, 1912;
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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
WILLIAM H. KELLY, 0F LOS 'ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.
TREATMENT OF METALS.
1,019,965.
Speci?cation of Letters Yatent.
Patented Mar. 12, 1912.
Application ?led July 27, 1908.‘ Serial No. 445,566.
To all whom 'it may concern:
posed to treat molten metals by the use of
Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. KELLY, a superheated steam to remove impurities
citizen of the United States, residing at Los therefrom, and I do not desire to be consid
Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and ered as including in this application any
-. State _of California, have invented a new
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such treatment broadly, but on the contrary ~
and useful Improvement in the Treatment desire to be understood as claiming only the
of Metals, of which the following is a speci means and method of treating molten metals
?cation.
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In my application Serial No. 448,971, ?led
August 17, 1908, I disclosea process for the
reduction of ores and metals by subjecting
them to the action of superheated and partly
dissociated steam in and during the reduc
ing operation. The present invention is dis
tinguished therefrom in that the treatment
with'part-ly dissociated steam is applied to
the metals subsequently to the'reducing op
eration, the process herein described being a
purifying and not a reducing process.
One object of my invention is to provide
. cheap and e?'ect-ive means for removing im
by the use of nascent hydrogen and oxygen
when generated and applied substantially in
the manner herein speci?ed.
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.By my process and apparatusherein set
forth, I am enabled to generate nascent hy
drogen and oxygen in suitable quantities and,
in such a manner as to treat metals while in
their molten condition at a slight cost and
at the same time avoid any liability of dan
ger from explosions, which are liable to oc- '
our when steam. is admitted to the molten
metal and dissociated by its contact therewith into hydrogen and oxygen.
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The accompanying drawings illustrate
purities from metals when the metals are the means and process of carrying out my
drawn from the cupola furnace, blast furnace invention.
or any melting furnace used for reducing
Figure 1 illustrates the means and manner 80
25 metals to a molten condition.
of working my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail
Another object of 'my invention is to sub of the nozzle and section of the ?exible metal
ject molten metals to the action of nascent tube. employed in delivering the hot gases to
hydrogen gas to effect their puri?cation the metal.
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from sulfur, phosphorus and like impurities
at a slight cost.
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1 is a steam boiler, which. may be of any
approved form adapted to generate vapor
from water in suitable quantities.
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Another object of my invention is to pro
.vide a process whereby nascent hydrogen gas
.2 is a retort, or gasi?er arranged to_ re—
and nascent oxygen can be applied to molten ceive steam from the boiler'l.
metals to effect the puri?cation of the same,‘
3 is a pipe connecting the boiler 1 and the
35 in a manner which, while being cheap and
inexpensive, will be without danger to the
at‘ is a valve in the pipe line 3 arranged to
operator.
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regulate the amount of steam admitted to
retort
In carrying out my invention I'generate
nascent hydrogen‘and oxygen in‘ a suitably
40 heated retort from water steam admitted
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- theretort 2.
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5 is a, pipe leading from the‘ retort to the
stand pipe 6 and coupling 7 to which is con
thereto from a suitable steam generator hav nected a suitably insulated ?exible metal
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ing a greater pressure than the pressure of tube v8.
the hydrogen and oxygen generated in the
At the open end of the metal tube 8 is at
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retort, and I also provide means 'torallow of tached a nozzle 9 of some suitable ‘refrac 100
the‘ unobstructed ?ow of the hydrogen and tory material.' I have used for this pur-_
oxygen from such retort to the metals to be pose an iron pipe coated with lime. .
treated.
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10, is a wheeled truck or carrier upon
The essential feature of the present proc
which is carried a pot 11 adapted to contain
ess is the treatment of molten metal with a molten metal 12. 13 is a union coupling con 105
gas derived from steam, said steam having sisting of a screw threaded male member 14
been heated to such a temperature as to adapted to screw into an internally screw .
_ reach the point- of dissociation, the dissocia
tion being started before the gas enters the
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threaded female member 15.
.
The nozzle 9 is formed of some suitable re~
furnace or metal and being completed as the fractory material of any desired length and 110
gas comes in contact with the heated'metal. is provided with. tapering end 16 which
I am aware that it has heretofore beenpro
seats in the nozzle socket 17*’ in the union
1,019,965
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coupling 13. The open end 18 of thenozzle of its uninterrupted egress therefrom, that
is provided with slots or notches 19 to allow the hydrogen and oxygen become thoroughly
the nascent hydrogen and oxygen to ?ow ?xed at low. pressure, and by providing free
from the nozzle in case the end of the nozzle egress from the retort no back pressure re
should come in contact with the bottom of
the metal receptacle in the treatment.
The metal hose 8 is covered with an in
sulating covering 20 of asbestos or magnesia
sults on the steam which is being fed into
the retort from the steam generator, there
fore by maintaining a constant pressure
upon the boiler a certain and predetermined
tov prevent loss of heat.
quantity of hydrogen and oxygen is pro
duced in the retort. It is to be remembered 75
that in all instances the retort or gasi?er
to the retort 2 through thevalve controlled shall be of suitable heating area to allow for
pipe 3 in such quantities as may be desired, the perfect dissociation of the steam.
sufficient heat being applied to the retort 2'
By using my treatment for the puri?ca—
to cause the steam to begin to dissociate into tion of metals, molten metals may be run 80
nascent hydrogen and oxygen. The valve 4 into suitable ladles or containers and al
is designed to admit a smaller amount of lowed to cool to an appreciable extent, and
steam to the pipe 3 than the full capacity of become lower in temperature than the highly
the retort 2,__and in consequence thereof the heated. hydrogen and oxygen generated by
steam expands to a greater volume in the the retort, and when such partially‘cooled 85
retort and dissociates into nascent hydrogen metals aresubjected to the action of the
and oxygen at a low pressure. By thus pro gases the temperature of such metals will be
viding'a retort of larger capacity than the increased to a pointabovethat of which it
‘ In practice steam is generated in the boiler
1 in the ordinary manner .and is admitted
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valve controlled opening thereinto the hy
was when it was drawn from the furnace;
drogen and oxygen are produced in theirv
nascent condition practically without pres
sure. The steam containing nascent hydro
gen and oxygen thus ?ows fromrthe retort
This feature is most valuable when it is de-_
What I claim is :—'~ 1
I'prefer to employ as the?exible metal
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containing nascent oxygen and hydro en. 7 ‘
,2. The herein described process 0 treat~ I‘
metal hose constructedof steel or copper and ing molten metal which consists in introduc
provide the same with a coating of insulat ing into the mass of metal superheated steam
mg ‘material such as asbestos in order to containing nascent oxygen and
maintain the gases at the temperature at. under comparatively low pressure.
which they are emitted from the retort, for
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plete agitation of the metal in order that all
l. The herein described process of treat
portions of the same may be brought into, ing molten metal which consists in introduc
intimate‘ contact with the" nascent gases.
ing into themass ‘of metal superheated steam
.tube 8,.the ordinary commercially known
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them to be poured at the same time, for the
through the pipe 5, stand pipe 6,,coupling reason that such ladles can all be subjected
7, ?exible tube 8 and nozzle 9 into themeta-l to slmultaneous treatment, purifying them‘
12 contained in the pot 11, the nozzle mean to a uniform degree and also giving to each
while being stirred about by the operator‘ ladle of metal the temperature desired.
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throughout the mass to allow of the com
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sired to make large ‘castings and it'becomes
necessary to ‘tap a number of ladles and hold _
hydrogen
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3. The herein described process of treat
ing molten metal which consists in introduc~
ing into the mass of metalv superheated steam
affinity for'carbon, sulfur, phosphorus and containing nascent oxygen and hydrogen at
the reason that I have discovered that nas
45 cent hydrogen and oxygen have a greater
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the like when heated ‘to a high'degree of a temperature substantially the same as the
temperature, and combine with the same temperature of the metal.
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and carry them off in gases and slags that
“4:. The herein described process of treat
50 ?oat on the surface of the metal much more. ing molten metal whichconsists in introduc
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quickly than when combined'at a low degree ing into the massof metal at different points
superheated steam containing nascent oxy
In carrying out my invention the nascent gen and hydrogen and thereby causing the
hydrogen and oxygen liberated from theirv oxygen and hydrogen to thoroughly agitate
of temperature.
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in water of vapor form are, of the mass and to be commingled therewith.
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such a temperature as to equal or nearly
5. The herein described process of treat
“equal that of the molten metal, ‘and upon ing molten metal which consists in subject- '
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their coming into contact therewith, com—' ing steam to ajtemperature above the point
bine with the impuritiescausingthem to vof dissociation into nascent oxygen and hy
either oxidize or escape in the form of. gases. drogen and then introducing the same into
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In practice I have found that’? by admit a mass of molten metal and commingling it
ting only such amount of steamtothehi' hly
heated retort, as shown, as :is required in
6. The herein described process of_ treat~
the treatment of the metal cont‘ainedit‘qinthe ing molten metal which consists in generat
pot, ladle or other containerzandiiyallowing ing steam, passing the same into a heating
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therewith.
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1,019,965
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' apparatus and increasing its temperature to ing steam, passing‘the same into a heating ~
and above the point of dissociation of said apparatus in a limited predetermined quan—.
steam into nascent oxygen , and hydrogen tity, ‘and with comparatively no pressure,
and then introducing said oxygen and hy-_ then heating said steam to a point above dis
sociation and permitting the same to expand
drogen into'the mass of metal.
7. The‘ herein described process of treat and therebyforming ?xed nascent oxygen
ing molten metal Which vconsists in generat
ing steam, passing the same in a predeter
' mined amount into a heating apparatus and
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and hydrogen gases, and then introducing
said gases into themolten m'ass?of material
at substantially no pressure.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set
increasing its temperature to a point above
thedissociation of the steam into nascent my hand at Los Angeles, California, this
. oxygen and hydrogen and then introducing 21st day of July 1908'.
said oxygen and hydrogen into the mass of
metaland thoroughly commingling the same I
15 therewith.
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8. The herein described process of treat
ing molten metalwhich consists in generat
.W. H. KELLY.
In presence of;
LOUIS W. GRATZ,
FRANK L. A. GRAHAM.
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