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Archiver > GEN-DE > 1997-08 > 0870527952
From: peppercorn <>
Subject: Russhaendler/Traeger
Date: Sat, 2 Aug 1997 13:19:12 GMT
After some technical consultations with BF a (Industrial ?) Chemist at
the University of Frankfurt and furter historical research, the
following conclusions were reached:
A Russhaendler was in the trade of collecting and selling soot for the
production of steel. Carbon steel has a carbon content of up to 1%.
Iron by itself does not lend itself well to being hardened and
tempered. The addition of a small amount of carbon and other
materials, allows steel to be hardened and tempered by quenching in
various ways eg in water, oil, salt, air. The town in question had
various foundries which explains a large number of blacksmiths and
metal manufacturing trades.
BF advises that soot is an high quality and expensive source of
carbon, superior to charcoal (which was used in the early days of
steel production), now largely replaced by coking coal. A further use
of soot was/is in the production of writing and printing inks.
Kurt
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