*♦ r 



BESSEMER CONVERTERS AT WORK 



As pig iron comes from the blast furnace it still possesses certain impurities, such as 

 carbon and silicon. The mission of the Bessemer converter is to get rid of these. It is a 

 huge egg-shaped steel container, lined with fire-brick, and mounted on trunnions so that it 

 may be tilted and its liquid contents poured out. By means of a blower a tremendous supply 

 of oxygen is driven through the molten metal, taking off with it all the carbon as it goes. 

 \iter the flower lias been turned off, a scientifically measured quantity of carbon is added 

 to give the contents the characteristics of carbon steel (see text, page 151). 



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