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Re: (erielack) the ERIE and EL and types of steel

 
In a message dated 7/6/2009 10:28:25 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
schuyler.larrabee_@_verizon.net writes:

The  writer distinguishes between mills making carbon steel and those 
making "alloy  steel."  While I
am not convinced that this separation makes complete  sense . . . were the 
mills on the ERIE in
Youngstown and elsewhere such  that they could be classified as one or the 
other? Or do we end up
with  three lists: those that made carbon steel exclusively, those that 
made alloy  steel exclusively,
and those that were switch-hitters?  

SGL



.................
At the risk of receiving a rivet from the list owner for being off topic  I 
offer the following from Rick Rowlands.  Rick is a steel historian  and 
operates a museum in Youngstown that collects steelmaking equipment.   Rick was 
a huge help to me during the recent writing of STEEL MILL  RAILROADS, 
Morning Sun Books, release date Nov 15, 2009. (shameless plug).
 
SMT
 
 
The major integrated steel producing plants in the Mahoning Valley District 
 with exception of Sharon Steel (Lowellville and Farrell) were carbon steel 
 producers.  Carbon steel is defined as a steel in which carbon and low  
amounts of manganese and/or silicon are the chief alloys.  The vast  majority 
of steel produced in the US during the time of the EL's existence is  
classified as carbon steel, and used for structural shapes, sheets, plate, pipe,  
rebar, etc.   The production facilities at these integrated steel  plants 
were geared for high levels of production of these basic steels.
 
Alloy steels are generally made in electric arc furnaces and in much  
smaller tonnages than carbon steel. An EAF has the ability to more closely  
control the chemical composition of an alloy, something that was very difficult  
if not impossible to do in an open hearth or BOF.  
 
The reason that Sharon Steel is a special case is because both of their  
plants had open hearths as well as EAFs.  A portion of Sharon's production  
would have included alloy steel.  I believe that the EAFs at Lowellville  were 
put in by the Defense Plant Corporation so that Sharon could increase  
production of a special grade of steel used in WWII infantry helmets.   Sharon 
also did produce a considerable tonnage of carbon steel, as evidenced by  the 
open hearths and later the Kaldo furnaces (a type of BOF) at Farrell. 
 
For the layman, to identify a plant that produced alloy steel vs. carbon  
steel, you must look at the steelmaking furnaces.  If the plant had  
Bessemers, open hearths or BOFs then it made carbon steel.  If they had  EAFs then 
they made alloy steel.  This does not apply to the time period  after the 
EL's demise however.
 
Rick Rowlands
Executive Director
Tod Engine Foundation
"Preserving  Youngstown's Steel Industry Heritage"
2261 Hubbard Road
Youngstown,  OH  44505
330-272-4089
_www.todengine.org_ (http://www.todengine.org/) 

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