Bessemer process

Task 1. What processes of making steel do you know?

Task 2. Can you describe the Bessemer converter? What are the many parts of it?

Task 3. Read and translate the following text:

In the Bessemer process no fuel is used. The pig iron from the blast-furnace is poured molten into the converter, and a strong blast of air is sent up through it. The air first oxidises the silicon and manganese, which, together with some iron oxide, rise to the top and form a slag. The blowing is continued until the carbon content is lowered to about 0.05%. When the blow is completed the amount of carbon necessary to bring the carbon content to the specified percentage, together with manganese to counteract the influence of sulphur, and silicon to degasify, are added to the molten metal. The finished steel is then poured into a ladle, and hence it is poured into the ingot molds for subsequent rolling or forging.

The Bessemer converter, in which the process takes place, is a pear-shaped tilting vessel made of steel plates and lined with heat-resisting bricks and clay. The top of the converter is cut off to form a mouth through which molten metal is charged and discharged. In the bottom of the vessel are a number of holes through which air is blown.

When the air blast is turned on, a shower of sparks bursts from the mouth of the converter. Immediately thereafter appear short ruddy flames and a dense cloud of reddish-brown fumes caused by the burning of the silicon and manganese in the iron. In about five minutes this part of the refining action is accomplished, and the next stage, the removal of carbon, begins.

The ruddy flames become more luminous, changing to a yellowish white.

For about ten minutes the glare continues, and during that time the converter emits a deep roar caused by the violent generation of gas within it.

Suddenly the flame drops, and the operator must diminish the blast of air and remove the metal from the converter.

Bessemer steel is considered to be inferior to steel produced by other methods. It is still used because of low cost of its production, cost of the process.

Today we have a new, more perfect technology of converting pig iron into steel in which the blast of air is replaced by a jet of nearly pure oxygen.

Bessemer steel refined additionally in the open-hearth, or electric furnace, is called duplex steel.

Task 4. Find in the text equivalents to the following words and expressions:

паливо, заливатися розплавленим, чавун, домна, утворювати шлак, прокат і кування, виливниця (рос. изложница), вогнетривка цегла, нахилена ємність, глина, розплавлений метал, отвори, готова сталь, верхівка конвертера, дуплексна сталь, додатково очищати, оксид заліза, ківш, видалення вуглецю, мартенівська піч.

Task 5. Translate into Ukrainian the following words and word combinations:

to oxidize, to refine additionally, to charge, to discharge, to accomplish the stage, reddish-brown fumes, to emit a deep roar, low cost of production, to counteract, steel plates, vessel, ruddy flames, silicon, the amount of carbon, to pour the molten iron, the blast of air, dense cloud, low cost of production, steel plates, to be charged and discharged.

Task 6. Make word combinations from the words in column A and column B:

A	B
carbon	plate
ingot	blast
steel	content
molten	oxide
duplex	action
iron	metal
air	steel
refining	molds

Task 7. Fill in the gaps with the suitable words. Put them in proper tense form. Translate the sentences.

to pour, to refine, to consider, to continue

to oxidize, to use, to pour, to send, to add

1. The pig iron from the blast-furnace _____ into the converter, and a strong blast of air _____ up through it.

2. The air _____ the silicon and manganese, which, together with some iron oxide, rise to the top and form a slag.

3. The blowing _____ until the carbon content is lowered to about 0.05%.

4. Then some amount of carbon, manganese, and silicon _____ to the molten metal.

5. The finished steel _____ into a ladle.

6. Bessemer steel _____ to be inferior to steel produced by other methods.

7. Bessemer steel _____ because of low cost of its production, cost of the process.

8. Bessemer steel _____ additionally in the open-hearth or electric furnace.

Task 8. Translate the following sentences into English:

1. Розплавлений метал заливається в конвертер, а потім продувається повітрям.

2. До вуглецю додається марганець з метою нейтралізації дії сірки.

3. Сталь можливо виготовити за допомогою складного Бесемерівського процесу.

4. Бесемерівський процес складається з підготовки шлаку, очищення, та видалення вуглецю.

Task 9. Describe the Bessemer process using the given words:

• to use fuel

• to pour molten pig iron

• to send air through, to oxidize silicon and manganese, to form a slag

• to continue the blowing, to lower the carbon content

• to add the amount of carbon, silicon, and manganese

• to pour the finished steel (into a ladle, into the ingot molds)

Task 10. Make up questions to the text “Bessemer process”.

Task 11. Memorize the following words and word combinations:

1.	to add	додавати
2.	blowing	продування
3.	to burst	розриватися
4.
5.	to counteract	перешкоджати, заважати
6.	to cut off	відрізати
7.	to degasify	дегазувати
8.	to diminish	зменшувати
9.	duplex steel	сталь-дуплекс
10.	forging	ковка
11.	glare	яскраве сяяння
12.	heat-resisting brick	вогнетривка цегла
13.	ingot mold	виливниця
14.	ladle	ківш
15.	luminous	той, що сяє
16.	manganese	марганець
17.	molten metal	розплавлений метал
18.	to pour	лити (метал)
19.	reddish-brown fume	червоно-коричневий дим
20.	refining	очищення
21.	rolling	прокатка
22.	silicon	кремній
23.	spark	іскра
24.	tilting vessel	нахилена ємність
25.	violent generation	інтенсивне виробництво

UNIT 6