Elements of Metallurgy. A practical treatise on the art of extracting metals from their ores ... Illustrated, etc

Front matter

ELEMENTS OF METALLURGY STANDARD TECHNICAL WORKS. NEW BOOK BY PROF. ROBERTS-AUSTEN, F.R.S. In extra croicn 8vo, with numerous Illustrations and Tables. 7s. 6d. METALLURGY (An Introduction to the Study of). By W. C. ROBERTS-AUSTEN, C.B., F.R.S., Professor of Metallurgy, Royal College of Science, with which is incorporated the Royal School of Mines ; Examiner in the Science and Art Department, &c. GENERAL CONTENTS. Relation of Metallurgy to Chemistry. Physical Properties of Metals. Alloys. The Thermal Treatment of Metals. Fuel. I Materials and Products of Metallurgical Processes. | Furnaces. M eans of Supplying Air to Furnaces. Typical Metallurgical Processes. Economic Considerations. "No English text-book at all approaches this one either in its method of treatment, its general arrangement, or in the completeness with which the most modern views on the subject are dealt with.

Professor Austen's volume will be invaluable, not only to the student, but also to those whose knowledge of the art is far advanced." — Chemical News. "We recommend every one who desires information not only to consult but to study this work." — Engineering. " Will at oncetake front rank as a text-book." — Science and Art. Second Edition. With Tables and Diagrams, large crown Sro. 10s. Gd. ASSAYING : for the Use of those Connected with Mines. By C. BERINGER, F.I.C., F.C.S.,and J. J. BERINGER, F.I.C., F.C.S., Lecturer to the Mining M^opjation and Institute of Cornwall, and Public AnarT^tf b? the County of Cornwall. "A really meritorious work, that may be safely depended upon either for systematic instruction or fOT?re^pr-en£e." — Nature. &•• '■♦ ' '■' Third Edition. m,,Mntied. Large croicn Sro. 7s. 6d. MINE-SURVEYING (A Text-Book of).

For the Use of Managers of Mines and Collieries, &c. By BENNETT H. BROUGH, F.G.S., Instructor of Mine-Surreying, Royal College of Science. "No Mining Student will consider his Technical Library complete without it." — Nature. In large crown Svo, xoith numerous Illustrations. 10s. 6d. PRACTICAL GEOLOGY (Aids in) ; with a Section on Palæontology. By G. A. J. COLE, F.G.S., Profe3sor of Geology, Royal College of Science, Dublin. "Will be of thk greatest possiele use to Miners and Prospectors in their search after ores and minerals. . . . Replete with practical hints, and contains an enormous amount of useful information." — Industries. LONDON: CHARLES GRIFFIN ft CO., EXETER STREET, STRAND. ELEMENTS OP METALLURGY A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON THE ART OF EXTRACTING METALS FROM THEIR ORES. Br J. ARTHUR PH ILL I P S, F.R.S., F.G.S., M. Inst.

Preface

TO THE THIRD EDITION. In the present issue, the text has been increased by about one twelfth to a total of 881 pages, chiefly by addition to the articles on Iron and Copper ; those on Nickel, Aluminium, and Sodium being also considerably extended. The statistical matter has been brought up as far as possible to the year 1889 — the latest date for which complete returns are available. The Editor has to acknowledge with thanks the assistance kindly rendered in this part of the subject by Mr. T. Sopwith and Messrs. Henry Merton & Co. H. B London, August 15, 1891.

PREFACE.

TO THE FIRST EDITION. The First Edition of the Author's 'Manual of Metallurgy' appeared in 1852, the second in 1854, and the third in 1858. Up to the last of these dates no other work on this subject had been published in England ; but we have since had the excellent volumes of Dr. Percy, and a translation of Professor Kerl's Metallurgy, with additions by Messrs. Crookes and Rohrig. A treatise on the ' Metallurgy of Iron,' by W. Truran, is also before the public, as well as an admirable manual on the same subject by H. Bauerman ; two small but useful volumes on the Metallurgy of Copper, Lead, and Silver, by Dr. R, H. Lamborn, forming a portion of ' Weale's Rudimentary Series,' and various other works of a somewhat similar character, have from time to time been published within the last fifteen years.

The student has, therefore, within his reach a considerable number of metallurgical books in the English language ; but some of them are large and consequently expensive, while others confine themselves to the metallurgy of one of the metals only. No well-illustrated treatise in a single volume has, however, appeared, describing with any considerable detail the metallurgical operations relating to all the principal metals, and at the same time serving as an introduction to the general literature of metallurgy. The object of the present work is to supply, within moderate limits, such practical information on general principles, and

PREFACE.

TO THE FIRST EDITION. typical processes, as may not only afford a comprehensive view of the subject, but also enable the reader to study with advantage more elaborate treatises and original memoirs. The information generally is, as far as practicable, brought up to the present time. In order to do this, various works on metallurgy, as well as numerous papers dispersed through the different English and foreign scientific journals, have been consulted. Recourse has also been had to notes which, during the last twenty years, have been made by the Author, both at home and abroad. These principally refer to the Metallurgy of Copper, Lead, Silver, and Gold. In the case of each of the more important metals, the different ores from which they are respectively obtained are enumerated and described, while statistics of their distribution and production in various parts of the world are also added.

Much information relative to the distribution of iron ore has been derived from Bauerman's ' Metallurgy of Iron ; ' in the case of the other metals the statistics have either been obtained from official sources, or compiled from the most trustworthy information available. For returns relative to the production of France and of the United States of America, we are indebted respectively to Professor Daubree, of the Ecole des Mines, Paris, and to Professor B. Silliman, of Yale College, Connecticut. A great difficulty experienced in collecting statistics relative to the metal-production of the world arises from the fact that ores raised in one country are frequently subjected to metaUurgical treatment in another, and the produce is, in the majority of instances, returned by both. Allowance for such double returns has, when practicable, been made, but the complete elimination of error arising from this cause would be exceedingly difficult. Sometimes no precise figures have been available, and in such cases estimates founded on the best procurable data have been substituted.

PREFACE.

TO THE FIRST EDITION. IX Both the wet and dry methods of assaying are given with considerable detail, and when, as in the case of ironstones, the value of an ore is materially affected by the nature and quantity of the impurities present, the processes employed for their detection and estimation are fully described. The principal works, in addition to those already mentioned, to which the Author wishes to acknowledge his obligations, are the following : Gruner and Lan, ' Metallurgie du Fer en Angleterre,' published in the Annoles des Mines ; Gruner, ' De l'Acier et de sa Fabrication,' also published in the Annales des Mines; Jordan, Metallurgie du Fer au pays de Siegen,' published in De Kuyper's Revue Universelle ; Dana's ' System of Mineralogy,' and Watts's 'Dictionary of Chemistry.' Many other books and papers have necessarily been consulted ; but the several sources from which information has been derived will be found duly acknowledged in the text.

Of the dlustrations a large number are new, and have been reduced by Mr. W. J. Welch from working drawings, a few only having been retained from the ' Manual of Metallurgy.' Some have been obtained from foreign sources, particularly from drawings published by the Technical Institute of Berlin under the title of ' Sammlung von Zeichnungen fiir die Hiitte.' Others have been reproduced from papers published in the Transactions of various societies ; a few have been reduced from Truran's drawings ; and some six or eight have, with the kind permission of the Author, been adapted from Percy's ' Metallurgy.' The woodcuts have been drawn to scale, and a sufficient number of dimensions are generally given to render easy the determination of any others that may be required. The Author has much pleasure in acknowledging his obli gations to Mr. W. Hutchison, for information relative to lead smelting at Coueron ; to Professor Ulrich, for a description of the process employed at Oker for the extraction of silver and gold X

PREFACE.

TO THE SECOND EDITION. from copper by sulphuric acid ; and to Ober-Bergund Hutten- Director Leuschner, for drawings of the large blast-furnace at Mansfeld, and for valuable information relative to the various processes employed in that establishment. His thanks are like wise due to Mr. F. W. Rudler, for his able assistance during the time this volume has been passing through the press. Cressington Park, Aigburth, June 1874.

PREFACE.

TO THE SECOND EDITION. The former issue of this work having been exhausted, the present revised edition was commenced under the conditions indicated on the title-page, and had proceeded far towards completion when, to the extreme regret of a large circle of personal and professional friends, the Author died suddenly on the morning of January 5, 1887, having been engaged upon the work of revision to within a very few hours of his lamented decease. The whole of the manuscript was at that time in the printer's hands, and the work has been completed with no more alteration than would, in the opinion of his coadjutor, have been adopted by the Author himself had he survived to complete his work. The progress of invention in all branches of metallurgical industry during the last ten years has necessarily led to an en largement of the volume, which has been increased in the text from 739 to 817 pages, and in the number of illustrations from 205 to 232, although some considerable reductions have been made

PREFACE.

TO THE SECOND EDITION. XI by the suppression of matter and illustrations either obsolete or unsuited to present conditions contained in the former edition. The largest alterations have, as might be expected, been made in the section devoted to Iron, but many notable additions will also be found under the heads of Copper, Lead, Silver, and Gold dealing with the newer developments in processes for the smelt ing and extraction of these metals from their ores. It was originally intended to have entered at some length upon the subjects of gaseous fuel and firing in their newer developments, but as this could only be done by trenching upon the space required for the more immediate purpose of the book, namely, the description of smelting-processes proper, the intention has been abandoned, although not without some regret.

In the revision of the text, notices have been removed of several processes which have either failed in practice or become obsolete ; but those coming within the latter category, that are either of historical interest or form the bases of subsequent developments, have been retained. London, April 20, 1887.