Thomas-Gilchrist process
Quick Summary
The Thomas-Gilchrist process, also known as the basic Bessemer process or the Thomas process, was a metallurgical innovation that improved upon the original Bessemer process. Developed by Sidney Gilchrist Thomas and his cousin Percy Gilchrist, this method addressed a key limitation of the Bessemer process: its inability to remove phosphorus, a common impurity in many European iron ores.
The innovation involved lining the converter with a basic material, such as burned limestone, instead of the acidic siliceous material used previously. This basic lining allowed the phosphorus to combine with it and be eliminated as slag. This advancement enabled the mass production of steel from a wider range of iron ores, significantly impacting the steel industry.
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- Percy Gilchrist
In the Thomas-Gilchrist process the lining used in the converter is basic rather than acidic, and it captures the acidic phosphorus oxides formed upon blowing air through molten iron made from the high-phosphorus iron ore prevalent in Europe. Gilchrist, a graduate of the Royal School of Mines,…
Read MoreIn the Thomas-Gilchrist process the lining used in the converter is basic rather than acidic, and it captures the acidic phosphorus oxides formed upon blowing air through molten iron made from the high-phosphorus iron ore prevalent in Europe. Gilchrist, a graduate of the Royal School of Mines,…
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Sidney Gilchrist Thomas…method is now called the Thomas-Gilchrist process, the Thomas process, or the basic process.
Read More…method is now called the Thomas-Gilchrist process, the Thomas process, or the basic process.
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