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.
After the blower has been turned off, a scientifically measured
quantity of carbon is added to give the contents the characteristics
of carbon steel.
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