SMELTING ORES BY ELECTRICITY 



and is then applied to the chilled mass which it is desired 

 to remove, the electric arc fusing the metal. 



Mr. Price, Chief Electrician of the Algoma Steel 

 Works, has been performing this operation by D.C. 



Best results were obtained b}^ connecting the furnace 

 casing to the positive side of the supply circuit. The cur- 

 rent was easily regulated by a water rlieostat, and re- 

 mained very steady at about 600 amperes. 



The Algoma Steel Company have recently purchased 

 from us a 75 K W., O.I.S.C, transformer, which they will 

 in future use for the above purpose. 



Other processe.*? closely allied to those dealt with in 

 this paper are those which deal with the production of cal- 

 cium, carbide, carborundum, graphite, alundum, copper, 

 arsenic, molybodenuni, tungsten, nickel, sodium, aluminum, 

 phosphorus, glass, calcium, strontium, corrundum or arti- 

 ficial emery, and zinc. 



In the electric furnace, ores can be treated which could 

 not be economically treated in the past. 



Ores of high sulphur content can be made into pig iron 

 containing only a few thousandths of a per cent, of 

 sulphur. 



Titaniferous iron ores, containing up to 5 per cent., 

 can be successfully treated. The silicon content can be 

 varied as required for the class of pig to be produced. 



As reducing agent, it is not necessor)^ to use coke in 

 the electric furnace, since charcoal and peat coke can be 

 satisfactorily emploj^ed. 



An excellent summary of the present situation in the 

 application of the electric furnace for steel making and iron 

 reduction is given in two reports by Eugene Haauel, 

 and is published by the Canadian Government. 



The first report of the Commission is on the different 

 processes employed in smelting iron ores and the making 

 of steel in operation in Europe, and the second report was 

 issued on the experiments made at Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., 



