An Old Blast-Furnace. [Volume: 8, Issue: 5, 1889, pp. 301-302]

No. 5.1

CHARCOAL IRON WORKERS.

301

ANALYSES OF CANADIAN APATITE.
Per cent. Per cent.
Moisture,. 0.10 0.10
Water,....... 0.50 0.15
Phosphoric acid,. 37.60 36.65
Lime,.....51.52 50.96
Oxide of iron and alumina,.. 1.50 1.40
Magnesia and not determined,.. 5.18 4.09
Carbonic acid,..0.60 1.50
Insoluble,........ 3.00 5.15
Total,......100.00 100.00
Equivalent to Tribasic phosphate of lime,.82.10 80.01
Carbonate of lime,... 1.36 3.40
If the apatite is thoroughly separated from iron-ore it would
undoubtedly be a commercial product, and it is questionable if a
small amount of magnetic oxide of iron would materially decrease
its value, for the objection to iron is that it retards producing a
soluble phosphate, and magnetic oxide iron is but feebly touched
by sulphuric acid; another point favoring the utilization of apatite
separated from iron-ore would be the fact that, occurring in crystals,
it would be of high grade. THE EDITOR.
An Old Blast-Furnace.
THE pioneers of our iron industry, the cold-blast charcoal furnaces are rapidly passsing away, having outlived their usefulness;
they are either entirely razed or give place to structures more modern in design and equipment. We therefore take pleasure in reproducing for record an illustration kindly loaned by the Knoxville
Car Wheel Company, Knoxville, Tenn. The cut shows the Carter
furnace, which, while not numbered among the older American
blast-furnaces, represents the prevailing primitive construction of
the cold-blast charcoal blast-furnaces, and shows by comparison the
strides in iron metallurgy made by more modern plants. Concerning
the furnace illustrated, the Knoxville Car Wheel Company say: