TARANAKI IRONSAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 May 1916, Page 5

TARANAKI IRONSAND.

THE MANUFACTURE OF JPIG-IKOJH, Another demonstration of the method I of manufacturing pig-iron from Tanynakl ircnsand by the Beskefct-Fraser process ' was given at Moturoa all day yesterday, and was witnessed throughout the day ' by a very large number of spectators, who closely watched the whole process, from the charging of the furnace until the molten mass was run into pigs, as was done on five occasions between' 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. The process to the uninitiated seems a simple one. The. iron&and it '■ gathered from the beach and mixed with very fine coal dust, being then coked in ovens. •> This ferro-coke is fed from an elevated platform into tha blast furnace, and a very small proportion of limestone and sinter is added,. The whole is submitted to great heat from the blasts, causing the iron to melt, whilst the slag and dross runs away freely from the vents provided. After- ) wards a clay plug is pierced, and tha molten iron runs into moulds made in 'j'< the sand. When these are full the vent ' is again plugged with clay and the fur- «jj nace recharged. "\ Five very successful runs were held, I. and the value of the demonstration from * a commercial point of view may b« . '., i gauged when it is stated that the pig- j iron manufactured yesterday ,was valued ] at £24, based on the price that the company had been offered for Its iron. ?