Abstract
FERRO-SILICON, averaging about 13 per cent, silicon and made in the blast-furnace, has been used in steel works, and to a certain extent in iron foundries, for many years. Steel castings were made with about 0.3 per cent, silicon to help in the prevention of blow-holes, and at the same time to aid in giving the properties required by engineers; and in foundries the ferro-silicon is used to add to mixtures of iron, such as those containing large percentages of scrap, that would otherwise yield a hard casting, as the added silicon has the effect of changing the combined to free or graphitic carbon on cooling. Within the last few years much richer ferro-silicons have been made in electric furnaces, and have found a ready sale. They are useful for special crucible steels and for certain steels for electrical work, and also for adding silicon in the ladle in the case of basic open-hearth practice, as there it is impossible to do this efficiently on the hearth, though it is easily done in the acid process.
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References
"On the Nature, Uses, ard Manufacture of Ferro-silicon, with Special Reference to possible danger arising from its Transport and Storage". Local Government Board Report, 1909. By Dr. S. M. Copeman, F.R.S., S. R. Bennett, and Dr. H. Wilson Hake . Pp. viii+113. (Cd. 4958.) Price 1s. 11d.
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MCWILLIAM, A. The Dangers of Ferro-Silicon . Nature 84, 53–54 (1910). https://doi.org/10.1038/084053b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/084053b0