Process of producing stainless steel

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING STAINLESS STEEL SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM REFRACTORY OXIDE INCLUSIONS BY THE OXIDATION-REDUCTION METHOD IN WHICH GASEOUS OXYGEN IS UTILIZED IN THE MELT UNDER A SLAG COVER TO EFFECTIVLY LOWER THE CARBON CONTENT TO A PREDETERMINED VALUE, THE GASEOUS OXYGEN ALSO EFFECTING OXIDATION OF A PORTION OF THE CHROMINUM OF THE MELT WHILE INCREASING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MELT TO ABOVE 2900* F. AND THE CHROMIUM OXIDE BEING THEREAFTER REDUCED FROM THE SLAG INTO THE MELT, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, INTRODUCING A MASTER ALLOY CONSISTING OF MANAGANESE AND SILICON IN THE PROPORTION OF FROM 2 TO 4 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF MANGANESE TO 1 PART BY WEIGHT OF SILICON INTO THE MELT AND THE SLAG COVER THEREFOR AT THE END OF THE OXIDATION PERIOD, COOLING THE MELT TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE BETWEEN 2750*F. AND 2850*F. AND THEREAFTER ADDING SUFFICIENT REDUCING AGENTS TO EFFECTIVELY REDUCE THE CHROMIUM OXIDE FROM THE SLAG, THE MASTER ALLOY BEING INTRODUCED IN AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO AT LEAST AN AMOUNT REQUIRED TO COMBINE WITH THE DISSOLVED OXYGEN OF THE MELT WHILE MAINTAINING AT LEAST A 2 TO 1 RATIO OF MANGANESE TO SILICON IN THE MELT, MAINTAINING THE MELT AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE BETWEEN 2750* F. AND 2850*F. UNTIL THE REDUCING AGENT EFFECTIVELY REDUCES THE CHROMIUM OXIDE OF THE SLAG AND THE REDUCED CHROMIUM RETURNS TO THE MELT, DECANTING THE SLAG COVER, AND THEREAFTER ADDING A NEW SLAG AND ADDITIONAL CHROMIUM TO OBTAIN A PREDETERMINED ANALYSIS OF THE STEEL SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM REFRACTORY OXIDE INCLUSIONS.