PuKSEK. — On Iron from Titaniferous Sand. 693 



Peospects of the Industry. 

 By reference to the Statistics of New Zealand, page 171, 

 1893, it will be seen that the imports of certain descriptions of 

 iron, the whole of which could be manufactured in New Zea- 

 land from the titanic ironsand at a much cheaper rate, were as 

 follows : — 



£ 

 Eails and railway-bolts ... ... 48,037 



Pig-iron, wrought, wire, &c. ... 358,511 



Nails ... ... ... ... 21,773 



Steel and steel rails ... ... 14,481 



■ £445,805 



Or, in other words, these items represent one-fourteenth of 

 the entire imports of the colony for that year. 



As an evidence of the easy manner in which the briquette 

 melts, perhaps it would not be out of place if I were to submit 

 a few certificates from ironfounders who have conducted ex- 

 periments in small cupola furnaces. 



The following are the results of practical trials that have 

 been made with Mr. Purser's jjrocess : — 



Blenheim, 20cli February, 1895. 

 I smelted about 5cwt. of ironsand briquettes made under Mr. E, 

 Purser's patent process on the Stli February. The mode of smelting 

 was in a small cupola furnace ; from the time of putting them in until 

 they were melted was about twenty minutes ; and the quantity of fuel 

 requisite seemed similar to thac used for smelting pig-irou. 



I find that that portion of the briquettes which was run o& in the 

 time mentioned— viz., twenty minutes— the metal was not thoroughly 

 converted, while the last charge, which I let down with the fuel by letting 

 down the bottom of the furnace, and allowed to cool gradually, produced 

 a malleable metal of very superior quality, much resembling mild steel. 



William Fairweather, 



The Foundry, Blenheim. 



New Plymouth, 16th April, 1895. 

 About 5cwt. of Mr. Purser's briquettes were made in my foundry, 

 and after^vards smelted in my cupola furnace, with the following results : 

 The briquettes smelt easily ; they will flow in about thirty minutes, but 

 at that stage it looks a great deal like slag, but by putting it through the 

 furnace again a considerable quantity of iron was obtained, although it 

 was not sufficiently liquid to flow freely. This vs'as owing to the furnace 

 being too short, and not giving the material sufficient time to absorb 

 carbon. Fortunately, there was sufficient slag intermixed with the metal 

 to allow it to be cut out, which was done as soon as the furnace was cool 

 enough, and the following day it was cast into ingots, wheels, &c. The 

 metal is very close-graiued, and resembles very superior steel. 



F. \V. Okey, 



Taranaki Foundry. 



Wellington, 19th June, 1895. 



I assisted Mr. Purser when smelting a quantity of ironsand briquettes, 



made under his patent process, at ]\Ir. Seager's foundry, Wellington. 



They smelt with great rapidity (the time being thirty-five minutes) in a 



small cupola furnace, and conversion takes place in about half an hour 



