4 HUTTON, Fusion of Quart" iji the Electric Furnace. 



the ordinary blowpipe, except for the immense difference 

 of temperature. 



Owing to insufficient skill in the art of glass-blowing, 

 and to the pressure of other work, I did not feel encouraged 

 to proceed with these experiments with the open arc, but 

 undertook a few experiments with the furnace which have 

 led to promising results. 



A Moissan arc furnace of the well-known type was 

 modified by cutting passages in the sides, so that a carbon 

 support charged with quartz could be passed under the 

 arc and at right angles to it ; a section of the furnace is 

 seen in the accompanying figure. 



SECTION OF ELECTRIC FURNACE. 

 ( One-fifth natural size. ) 



In this way one certainly makes more use of the heat 

 of the arc, since the reflection from the cover prevents a 

 great part of the heat being lost, and magnetic deflection 

 of the arc, which in this case was not made use of, might 

 be found a further advantage for economical working. 



A current of about 300 amperes at 50 volts was 

 usually employed, and with this power the quartz was 

 seen to melt on the surface within a minute or so of 

 commencement. Nearly all the experiments with this 

 form of furnace were arranged with a view to preparing 



