FUSION AND SOLIDIFICATION 



89 



safe condition by prolonged heating at tempera- 

 tures from 850° to 900"^ C. This improvement in 

 properties has been traced to the development 

 of a constituent of the alloy known as sorbite. 

 It is this constituent which gives the peculiar 



1600 



1500 - 



14 00 - 



1300 



.03 .04 .OS 



Fig. 18. 



tenacious properties to iron which has been 

 specially prepared for drawing into wire. 



Microscopic studies of the alloys composing 

 iron and steel have been very numerous. The 

 work of Sorby, Andrews, Osmond, Le Chatelier, 

 and Stead should particularly be mentioned. It 

 is by such microscopic investigations that the 

 different constituents of the alloys have been for 



