82 NEW MINEBAL DISCOVERIES IN NOVA SCOTIA. GILP1N. 



In the destructive distillation of coal the sulphur is divided 

 between the gas and the coke. From the former it can be 

 removed by increasing the purification plant, but its removal 

 from the latter is still practically an unsolved problem. It may 

 be said in general terms that about half the sulphur is usually 

 driven from the coal in the coking process. 



As the sulphur in the coke is largely transmitted to the 

 pig iron made in a blast furnace, its presence in any large 

 amount is a serious matter. As yet, attempts to lessen the 

 amount of this impurity have been confined to taking advantage 

 of its higher specific gravity, as compared with that of coal, to 

 separate it more or less thoroughly by washing processes. In 

 this connection some figures on the practical use of Cape Breton 

 coke in the Ferrona furnace may be of interest. The percentage 

 of sulphur in the coal may occasionally reach 3 per cent ; again 

 it runs down to a few tenths of 1 per cent. This difference 

 exists between different layers of the same bed, and different 

 localities in the same mine. The average percentage is low. 

 The coke made from unwashed Dominion coal contains, as 

 impurities, 1.08 per cent of sulphur, and 8.2 per cent of ash. 

 Coals running higher in sulphur are washed before being coked. 

 In the manufacture of Bessemer pig the amount of phosphorus 

 in the coke is an important item. It is exceptionally low in 

 this coke, averaging .0028 per cent. The calorific value of the 

 dry fuel, containing 5.84 per cent of ash is, according to the 

 Dulong-Mahler formula, 12.437, B. T. U. The coke is of good 

 quality, hard and compact. 



The pig iron has the following composition: 



Basic pig. Foundry pig. 



Silicon 50 2 32 



Manganese 87 .65 



Phosphorus 1.23 1.20 



Sulphur 017 .02 



G. Carbon 3.64 



C. Carbon .23 



Iron ..97.00 9200 



