Identification of methods of fining iron bars

[Rchard Williams]

I am hoping to start an MSc project at Warwick University shortly looking at the metallography and composition of bars fined with charcoal and coke/coal in the hope of being able to find some differentiation between them. Two requests

1. Does anybody know of work that has been done on such a thing inside or outside Britain? I am particularly thinking of Sweden

2. I shall be in the market for as many bars of iron as possible, preferably with provenance, but not necessarily. The less worked down the better, so bars in excess of an inch thick.

I have already got examples of bars made in Sweden (but from which process?, to be determined) and from the New Willey site, which is certainly potted and stamped. I would like to get hold of some puddled iron bars, preferably with provenance of both wet and dry puddling, and some bars from the Weald and the Forest of Dean.

Any ideas gratefully received. XRF silicon map of New Willey bar attached.

Richard Williams

[Paul Rondelez]

Hi Richard,

Maxime L’Héritier and team have done extensive research on characterising structural iron in France mainly for the medieval but also early modern period

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=fv8BrR4AAAAJ&hl=en

https://univ-paris8.academia.edu/MaximeLHéritier.

They are now working on different types of puddled iron. Might be worth contacting Maxime.

All the best,

Paul

[Rchard Williams]

Thanks, Paul. I have read a couple of the papers that you have suggested for me. I found it easier to start with the work of Buchwald and Wivel I must say, but I will understand the maths with a little more application. It is clearly a matter of calibrating the various oxide ratios for lots of different ores, which is the sort of thing that I shall be doing at Warwick. They are very good at inclusions in modern steels at Warwick. I don’t know Maxime, but I shall obviously have to contact him and his co-workers some time, possibly when I understand a little more about it.

As part of my researches I intend to go to the conference at Falun in Sweden in June. Do you know of anybody else from the Society going?

[Paul Rondelez]

Hi Richard,

Justine and myself will be in Falun, not heard of others.

All the best,

Paul

[Marc Gener-Moret]

For what is worth, I expect to go to Falum too.

I second the recommendations on Maxime L’Héritier’s work (and Philippe Dillmann’s) for what you’re after.

In this sense, as it is conveniently at hand, take a look at Historical Metallurgy Vol. 46(1) pp. 19-31 as a starting point

https://www.hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/download/123/120

Best,

Marc

[Rchard Williams]

Thanks, Marc, and for the paper.  I have been following to a certain extent the work from Glinet, whilst concentrating on cast iron otherwise, but with my new project I will be taking much more interest.  In particular I am interested in the difference in fining techniques when the pig iron feedstock was high in silicon and when it was not.  I am very interested in the chemistry of the removal of phosphorus and keen to know how Cort was able to vary his process in order to alter its ability to do this.

I look forward to meeting you in Falun and hope that there will be a lot of other French workers interested in this subject there.  If anybody can help me with provision of samples of fined bar iron, I would be very grateful.  I would love to obtain some such from Franche Comte, where they had a high silicon feedstock.

Richard

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