248 REPORTS ON INVESTIGATIONS AND PROJECTS. 



(1) Improvements upon the method of electrolytically refining 

 iron and the construction of a plant for the continuous production 

 of electrolytic iron in such quantities as might be necessary for the 

 investigations here and to supply the needs of other investigators 

 who wish to use this material. 



(2) Accurate determination of the purity of the iron thus pro- 

 duced and the quantitative determination of the very small percent- 

 ages of the accompanying impurities. 



(3) Determination of the properties of the iron thus purified ; 

 such properties including the hardness, malleability, tensile strength, 

 elastic limit, elongation, melting-point and other critical points, 

 corrodibility, electrical and magnetic properties, etc. 



(4) Review of the literature and compilation of a bibliography 

 relating to work which has been done on the purification of iron. 



(5) An investigation of the uses of electrolytic iron. 



(6) Determination of the influence of various heat and mechan- 

 ical treatments on the properties of pure iron. 



(7) Determination of the influence of various single elements 

 associated with iron. 



Dr. Oliver P. Watts has been engaged to take direct charge of this 

 work. He was able to devote only a portion of his time to the 

 investigation from March 9 to June 1 , but since then his entire time 

 has been available for it. 



A new plant has been erected, consisting of five 9-gallon stone 

 electrolytic cells and one filtration and settling tank, circulation 

 pumps, electrical fittings, storage battery, and instruments. This 

 plant has been running continuously since June 15, and from that 

 date to September 6 the total amount of refined iron taken from the 

 tanks was 393 pounds. By the recent installation of a new storage 

 battery the output of these tanks is considerably increased, so that 

 8 to 9 pounds will be produced daily. 



The electrolytic iron which has been thus far made and which it 

 is proposed to make during the coming year is to be used in sup- 

 plying the material for our investigations and also, so far as possible, 

 in complying with requests for this material from other investigators. 



A continual operation of the plant has shown the possibility of 

 producing electrolytic iron for refining at a cost well under one cent 

 per pound, provided it be carried out on a large scale, as in copper 

 refining. 



It has been shown by our analyses and those made elsewhere that 

 the iron has a purity comparable to that of the purest copper, gold, 

 and silver which is obtainable commercially. 



