Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1883 — Steel and Steel Rails. [ARTICLE]

Steel and Steel Rails.

Steel is a carburet of iron, rendered as free as possible from all foreign matter, such as sulphur,' phosphorus, etc. It may be produced by working pig iron, which contains 4 or 5 per cent, of carbon, in a suitable furnace until the amount of carbon is reduced to about 1 per cent., the average carbon is good steel. This is a decarbonizing process. In the other process, which is directly opposite to this, iron bars, freed of carbon, are heated in contact with charcoal until they have absorbed the necessary per cent, of carbon. The steel in the form of ingots, is brought to a proper heat and welded together in proper quantity to make’ a rail of given length and weight. This is then rolled into proper shape by immense rollers, grooved so as to give the right shape to the rail. Bessemer steel rails can be cast in molds.