Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

Intramuros, Manila

MEC 517
Written Report
Achesons Process

Topic:
I.

Origin of the Acheson Process

a. Who developed?
b. When introduced?
II.
How is the Acheson process worked?
a. Identify the equipment
b. Are there stand-by/ spare equipment?
III.
Advantages/Disadvantages

Submitted to:
Dr. Reynaldo C. Sanchez
Professor

Submitted by:
Dancel, Van Vien S.
Epedillon, Enrico A.
Reyes, Joshua James L.

I.

Origin of the Acheson Process

The Acheson process is a process to synthesize graphite and silicon

carbide, named after its inventor Edward Goodrich Acheson.
Edward Goodrich Acheson (18561931) was raised in the coal fields of
southwestern Pennsylvania. He left school at the age of 16 to help support his
family after his father died, but devoted his
evenings to scientific pursuitsprimarily electrical
experiments. In 1880 he had the temerity to attempt
to sell a battery of his own invention to Thomas
Edison and wound up working for Edison at his
research lab in Menlo Park, New Jersey. After a
year he was sent to Europe to install electrical
lighting systems in the Hotel de Ville in Antwerp and
La Scala in Milan, among other public places.
In 1884 Acheson left Edison's employ to
become an independent inventor; he was soon
successful. In 1891 he obtained the use of an
electric generating plant of considerable power and
tried to use electric heat to impregnate clay with
carbon. The resultant mass exhibited some small shiny specks, and he
determined that this crystalline substance had value as an abrasive. It was
actually silicon carbide, which he called "carborundum."

In 1894 he established the Carborundum Company in Monongahela City,

Pennsylvania, to produce grinding wheels, whet stones, knife sharpeners, and
powdered abrasives.
In 1895 Acheson's electrochemical company was among the first to come
to Niagara Falls. In its electric furnace he subsequently produced artificial
graphite, another product that he commercialized, and he discovered that various
organic substances allowed colloidal suspension of particles of graphite mixed in
oil or water. His inventive genius knew no bounds; neither did his entrepreneurial
optimism. Like many inventors, he was not a good manager, and his companies
were constantly being taken out of his hands by concerned investors. Many of
Acheson's original companies live on today, often as subsidiaries of various
corporations, including Saint-Gobain Corporation, GrafTech International, and
Acheson Industries.
The process consists of heating a mixture of clay (aluminum silicate) and
powderedcoke (carbon) in an iron bowl. Acheson, in 1890, originally attempted to
synthesize artificial diamond, but ended up creating blue crystals of silicon
carbide, which he called carborundum. When heated to 4150C, the silicon is
removed, leaving graphite. The process was patented by Acheson in 1896. After
discovering this process, Acheson developed an efficient electric furnace based
on resistive heating, the design of which is the basis of most silicon carbide
manufacturing today. Silicon carbide was a useful material in jewelry making due
to its abrasive properties, and this was the first commercial application of the
Acheson process.

In the furnace, an electric current was passed through a graphite core,

surrounded by sand, salt, and carbon.
The electric current heated the graphite and other materials, allowing them
to react, producing a layer of silicon carbide around the graphite core. The
process gives off carbon monoxide. There are four chemical reactions in the
process that produces silicon carbide (SiC).
II.

How is the Acheson process worked?

Automatic ladle
Systems adapted for use in metal die casting operations are disclosed herein.
In a preferred form the invention
comprises a rigid, supporting base on
which a control platform is rotatably
mounted for radially moving a ladle
between a metal filling and metal
pouring positions. The ladle is coupled
to the platform by support arm structure
extending from the platform which may
be raised or lowered with a hydraulic
cylinder. A parallelogram linkage system couples the ladle to the end of the
support arm structure. Reach extension apparatus extending between the
linkage and the platform moves the ladle outwardly with respect to the base
during movement to a filling position.
The reach extension apparatus and the parallelogram linkage allow the
horizontal position of the ladle pour spout to remain substantially constant

during raising and lowering of the ladle to prevent spillage. A tilting system
interconnected with the linkage facilitates ladle draining. In one form of the
invention the hydraulic cylinder employed for raising and lowering the support
arms is provided with internal cushioning. Electrical and hydraulic control
systems are provided for operation of the device.

Reciprocator device
There is disclosed herein an improved reciprocating device for use with various forming
machinery such as die casting,
molding or other like equipment. The reciprocating
device is adapted to advance a spray head across
the working surfaces
of a die, mold or other like forming apparatus when
such apparatus is in an open position thereby
allowing the spray
head to spray these surfaces with a combination of
fluids,
such as air and/or lubricants, for example. The apparatus
employs a spray head having a plurality of nozzles, which is secured to one end of an
elongated arm.
The opposite end of this elongated arm is removably secured to a carriage
assembly which is caused to reciprocate through the cooperation of a threaded rod and
drive motor means, thereby alternately extending and withdrawing the elongated arm.

Limit switches are provided which are actuated by engagement with portions of the
carriage assembly thereby providing means for controlling the flow of fluids to the spray
head, the drive motor means and otherwise controlling the operational cycle of the
reciprocating device. Additionally, a disc brake means is provided to prevent rotation of
the threaded rod when in an on position thereby preventing undesired movement of the
carriage assembly, elongated arm, and associated spray head. Various limit switches,
timers, valving arrangements, and other control apparatus may be included to provide a
wide variety of operational cycles.
Part Extractor- an apparatus that uses centrifugal force to separate particles from a
suspension
Linear Die Sprayers
A method for determining spraying parameters for controlling a paint-spraying
apparatus using a spraying agent is disclosed. A known spray pattern is
provided which has been determined by means of known spraying
parameters for the use of a first spraying agent. A provisional spray pattern is
calculated using the known spraying parameters and the characteristics of a
second spraying agent. The known spraying parameters are altered in order
to acquire changed spraying parameters which yield a further spray pattern.
The changed spraying parameters are altered to the point where the further
spray pattern is similar to the known spray pattern within a similarity criterion.
The changed spraying parameters corresponding to the further spray pattern
are intended as spraying parameters for the second spraying agent and are
provided to the paint-spraying apparatus whenever the second spraying

agent is used. The spraying parameters comprise a plurality of air currents

which influence the spraying behavior of the paint-spraying apparatus.
Acheson Furnace
The stock is arranged in blocks within a horizontal bed, usually perpendicular
to theaxis of the furnace. The space
between these segments is filled with
a resistor material consistingof
acoke/graphite granular mixture. The
current is supplied to the load by two
water-cooled head electrodes atthe
narrow sides of the furnace, whichis
thermally insulated by a mixture of
coke, sand, carbon black and/or
sawdust, thus protecting the material against oxidation. As the electrical
resistance of the furnace decreases an increasing degree of graphitisation,
the power to the head electrodes iscontrolled adjusted by transformers.
Nowadays, nearly all graphitising furnaces are DC-operated since powerful
rectifiers are available.
For fine-grained material, an uncontrolled release of decomposition products
from the charge does not cause problems, so that the normal maximum
temperature of 2800C can be reached within a few days. Depending on the
size of the furnace and its operation mode,one working cycle including
cooling lasts two to three weeks.
III.
Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages

Robust construction.
Virtually trouble-free operation.
Suitable for almost any type of carbon article.
The Acheson process is performed in an Acheson-type furnace. This
furnace consists of a central chamber surrounded by external walls made
of some refractory material such as firebrick. The chamber is roughly
rectangular in outline. The top is open. The Acheson furnace is nothing
more than a room without a ceiling, designed to keep in the heat

generated by electrical resistance heating of the carbon charge.

In terms of manufacturing conductive graphite electrode, the type used to
melt or refine iron in an electric furnace; electrodes of this type are

typically made using only the highest quality petroleum coke filler particles.
Silicon carbide was a useful material in jewelry making due to its abrasive

properties.
Synthetic graphite can be manufactured in any number of forms including

solid articles of varied shape and size, granular materials, and powders.
Graphite electrodes are used in metallurgical applications as a source of
energy for melting scrap iron in an electric furnace, refining certain types
of ceramic materials, manufacturing chemicals (i.e. calcium carbide), and

other applications requiring a high temperature, clean energy source.

High conductivity and high purity are attributes of synthetic graphite.
Impurities vaporize.
Graphite can be machined wet or dry with ordinary machine tools but is
norm ally machined dry.

Disadvantages
Pollutes environment.
Poor time and space utilization.
High cost of loading.

The exact process used to manufacture synthetic graphite is varied and

quite complex.
The need for very high temperatures to achieve a complete reaction.
The large blocks of SiC product must be broken up, ground and
comminuted to yield the classified granulated end-product, thereby

expending a large amount of energy.

The reaction gases, which consist essentially of CO but also of H2S, cant

be captured completely and are lost for an energy gain.

The discontinuous nature of the process.
The rather wide grain size distribution of the ground product.
Higher energy needed.
Raise cycle time.
Inferior control of process for electrode.