ON PUDDLING IRON, 69 
MiGam char Perse weeentse sole cscecets Ree eel 484 Ibs. 
Mean yaclan irs fest) OPA AEE. 426 ,, 
or 22 ewt. 2 qrs. 20 lbs. of pig iron per ton of puddled bar. 
It will be observed that the ordinary furnace received charges of 484 lbs. 
each, and yielded on an average 426 lbs., representing a loss of 12 per cent., 
whereas the gas furnace received charges averaging 424 lbs., and yielded 
413 lbs., representing a loss of less than 2-6 per cent. 
It is important to observe, moreover, that the gas furnace turned out eighteen 
heats in three shifis per twenty-four howrs, instead of only twelve heats 
per twenty-four hours, which was the limit of production in the ordinary 
furnace. 
This rate of working was attained without the employment of any 
arrangement for heating the pig iron before charging it into the furnace, 
the heating-chambers at the ends not having been used. The adoption of 
the plan of heating the metal beforehand (a system already extensively in 
use both in this country and on the Continent) effects a further saving of ten 
to fifteen minutes in the time required for working each charge, as well as a 
considerable economy in fuel. 
The quality of the iron produced from the gas furnace was proved de- 
cidedly superior to that from the ordinary furnace, being what is technically 
called “best best” in the one, and << best’’ in the other case, from the same 
pig iron of average quality. 
The following was the result of an analysis of an inferior English pig iron 
before and after being puddled in the gas furnace :— 
Pig Metal. Puddled Bar. 
EeBMOE ee alsa os ‘08 Sulphur’ 35 fe cK Fh ges 017 
Phosphorus .......... 1:16 Phosphorus ........ -237 
BRN ies. Ailey sl'etals we 1:97 uliearny 2 AF 2092 om Soe *200 
Tron and Carbon (by Tron by difference .... 99°546 
difference) .....:... 96°79 
100-00 100-000 
showing the extent to which foreign matters are actually removed by the 
process of puddling. 
These analyses were made a few days ago by Mr, A. Willis in my labora- 
tory at Birmingham. 
The economy of fuel was also greatly in favour of the gas furnace, but 
could not be accurately ascertained, because some mill-furnaces were worked 
from the same set of producers. Still, judging from the experience of 
several years in the working of regenerative gas furnaces as reheating or 
mill-furnaces and as glass-furnaces, the saving of fuel in puddling cannot be 
less than 40 to 50 per cent. in quantity, while a much cheaper quality may 
be used. 
The consumption of “ fettling”’ was, however, greater in the gas furnace, 
and the superior yield was naturally attributed by the forge managers to 
that cause, although the writer held a different opinion. 
The gas furnace, however, had not been provided with water-bridges ; 
these were subsequently added, and the furnace put to work again in 
February last, since which time it has been worked continuously. 
The result of the water-bridges has been that the amount of “ fettling”’ 
required is reduced to an ordinary proportion, the average quantity of red 
ore used being 92°6 lbs. per charge, besides the usual allowance of bulldog, 
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