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Art. X. — Experiments on the Alloys of Steel, made vnth 

 a View to its Improvement. By J. Stodart, Esq., and 

 M.Faraday, Chem. Assistant at the Royal Institution. 



In proposing a series of experiments on the alloys of iron 

 and steel, with various other metals, the object in view was 

 two-fold, — tirst, to ascertain whether any alloy could be arti- 

 ficially formed, better for the purpose of making cuttino-- 

 instruraents than steel in its purest state ; and, secondly, 

 whether any such alloys would, under similar circumstances, 

 prove less susceptible of oxidation ; — new metallic combinations 

 for reflecting mirrors was also a collateral object of research. 



Such a series of experiments were not commenced without 

 anticipating considerable difficulties, but the facilities afforded 

 us in the laboratory of the Royal Institution where they were 

 made, have obviated many of them. The subject was new, 

 and opened into a large and interesting field. Almost an 

 infinity of different metallic combinations may be made accord- 

 ing to the nature and relative proportions of the metals capable 

 of being alloyed. It never has been shown by experiment, 

 whether pure iron, when combined with a minute portion of 

 carbon, constitutes the very best material for making edge 

 tools ; or whether any additional ingredient, such as the 

 earths, or their bases, or any other metallic matter, may not be 

 advantageously combined with the steel ; and, if so, what the 

 materials are, and what the proportion required to form the 

 best alloy for this much desired and most important purpose. 

 This is confessedly a subject of difficulty, requiring both time 

 and patient investigation, and it will perhaps be admitted as 

 some apology for the very limited progress as yet made. 



By referring to the analysis of wootz, or Indian steel, 

 (see Journal, Vol. VII., page 288,) it will be observed, that 

 only a minute portion of the earths alumine and silex, could 

 be detected, these earths (or their bases) giving to the wootz its 

 peculiar character. Being satisfied as to the constituent parts 



