690 Transactions. — Chemistry. 



The object of the author's invention is to ehminate all the 

 refractory constituents of the sand by magnetism, and to make 

 the cleaned portion up into a hard briquette suitable for the 

 smelting-furnace. He also claims that the product made from 

 separated sand is far superior and more malleable than it 

 would otherwise be if the titanium was fused with the mag- 

 netite, in which case titanic acid would be absorbed in the 

 iron and be nearly as potent in producing "red short" as 

 phosphorus ; while some of the specimens laid before you 

 this evening, made from separated sand, are comparatively 

 malleable, even although they have not been puddled or 

 treated by any second process whatever. 



Separation. — This is accomplished by passing the sand 

 underneath magnetized drums ; and the author thinks it 

 prudent, in order to avoid complications, to embrace the two 

 principles of magnetism — namely, electro and permanent. 

 The electro-magnet is made with equal sections of magnetized 

 skins and insulation alternately, and is so arranged that at 

 each quarter-revolution the current is broken and discharges 

 the magnetic sand accumulated ; while in the permanent 

 magnet -drum its periphery comes in contact with a fixed 

 brush, which sweeps the sand into a i-eceptacle provided for 

 it : but, as the author is in attendance with drawings and the 

 means of practically demonstrating the process, it is needless 

 that I should take up the time of the meeting by attempting 

 to describe it. 



The Briquette. — As it is impossible to smelt loose sand in 

 a blast or cupola furnace, it becomes necessary to put it into 

 some solid form in order that it may be subjected to the fullest 

 possible action of the fuel, and also stand the weight of the 

 furnace during fusion. This is accomplished by mixing the 

 separated sand with a glutinous substance made to the 

 strength of ordinary size, of about one part of ordinary car- 

 penters' glue to twenty-two parts of water. Even when using 

 the glue of commerce this would not be an expensive article, 

 as it takes a very small quantity to saturate a large body of 

 sand ; but this cost is further reduced by making the size 

 from the waste by-products of the butcher's slaughterhouses. 

 After being well mixed it is spread on sheets of iron to the 

 thickness of -Jin., and blocked out into oblong briquettes 

 about oin. by Sin. These are then dried with a gentle heat 

 for about thirty minutes, when they become perfectly hard 

 and are ready for the smelting-furnace. It is further claimed 

 that by the use of this glutinous organic substance for bind- 

 ing the sand a double object is attained — that of becoming a 

 supplier of animal charcoal in one direction and of carbonic 

 oxide in another; in fact, it acts as a very useful flux, which 

 greatly assists conversion. The total cost of the finished 



