STEEL PRODUCTION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6371, 20 November 1907, Page 7

STEEL PRODUCTION.

A NEW METHOD. SUCCESSFUL TRIAL AT SOUTH - MELBOURNE. A NOTABLE GATHERING. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyritht '(Received November 19, 10.28 p.m.) MELBOURNE, November 19. At South Melbourne to-day an exhaustive trial of the Moore-Heskett process for direct production of iron and steel was made with entirely satisfactory results before a large gathering of exports from all parts of the Commonwealth. From Sydney a party of twenty-five interested in tho mineral industry came to view tho demonstration. Amongst those present were Mr Deakin, Count Mormor (representing the Swedish Government), Mr Scbauman (representative of the Belgian Government), Major Hughes (American steel interests), Colonel Stanley (of the Armstrong-Whitworth Company), Mr Newbiggin (of Vickers, Son, and Maxim), Mr Herman (representing the Commonwealth and New Zealand interests in the process), Sir Alfred Cowley (Queensland), tho presidents of the Chambers of Manufactures of New South Wales and Victoria, Mr Boakes (of the Clyde Engineering Works), two exports representing the New South Wales Government, and many members of the Federal and State Parliaments. INVENTOR AND PROCESS.

Mr Heskett, inventor of the process, was connected with the work at Onehunga a quarter of a century back, when efforts were made to deal with New Zealand iron sand. He then conceived the first idea of the direct process,. which culminated in to-day’s demonstration. Although there are several direct processes of making steel, all labour under the defect that they are expensive. It is claimed that the new process reduces the cost, compared with the indirect method, by 25 per cent., as well as effecting an enormous saving of time. At 11 o’clock this morning the test began. Tho ore shafts were charged with limonite ore from Rylstone, New South Wales, and the present installation was devised to convert this into hemalitio ore. In the earlier stages it was customary to pulverise the ore; but in the present instance the lump ore was used. Within a couple of hours the charge was withdrawn, and the molten steel and iron sent into the refining chamber. One of the essential features in the first operation was tho ingenious manner in which the ore, in passing through the reducers to the slag bath, was protected from oxidisation by a mantle of reducing gas; while another striking feature lies in the fact that, once started, the smelting of the ore and its conversion into steel is carried on" without interruption. FIRST CHARGE DRAWN.

Just before 4 o’clock the charge from the refiner was drawn, and those assembled witnessed the casting of the ingots of steel with six-inch by seveninch cross-section from the ore which had gone into the reducers five hours before.

Loud cheering greeted the accomplishment of the task. At a luncheon Mr Weedon (Lord Mayor) presided, and speeches were delivered by the President of the Senate, a number of Senators, and others. It was pointed out that Australia last year had imparted ten million tons of iron and steel, which importation would be avoided by the development of her own resources. There was practically an unlimited quantity of iron ore in various parts of Australia awaiting development and treatment.

Count Mocrmer, the Swedish' representative, said that although a direct process bad been invented in Sweden he congratulated Mr Heskett on his victory, asserting that he had done a great thing for Australia and perhaps for the world. PROSPECTS AND POSSIBILITIES. It is expected that the steel prepared to-day will be subjected to expert teste to-morrow. It is claimed for the process that it will treat New Zealand iron sand without the necessity of its first being converted into briquettes, and that the special plant for its purposes will be no more expensive than that for the treatment of. ore.

To-day’s demonstration clearly proved the rapidity with which steel could bo produced, compared with the thir-ty-six to forty hours required by the indirect method; while it is claimed that the actual cost of production is considerably less than under the old system.

A cable message has been received from Russia making an offer for the rights for that country if the result of to-day’s tests are successful. Those best qualified to judge say that the work accomplished indicated that a great step forward had been made in the rapid production of steel.