aS New Prteefs fof making 



fevcral experiments are detailed with a degree of mlnutencfj 

 bordering upon denKinltration. 



The report ila(,cs, that a j-'^d part of carbon is fufficient to 

 convert iron into ftccl : a quantity of it, equal to -ith of the 

 weight of the iron, gives a quality of ileel more fufiblc but 

 ilill malleable; but bevond that term it approaches to call 

 iron, and has no longer fufficient tenacity. By increafing 

 the dofe of carbon you increafe the fufibility, and it pafl'es at 

 length into the ftate of gray caft iron. 



In purfuance of the proportions here laid down, we find 

 the report prefcribes, that a mixture of carbonate of lime and 

 arjiil, comprifins: a-jds the weight of the iron, muft be em- 

 ployed, viz. l-3d the weight of the iron of carbonate, and 

 the fame proportion of argil. Thefe are to be introduced into 

 a crucible along with fragments of iron, expofed to heat fop 

 a time fufficient to effect fufion, and that the rcfult will be 

 found (Icel. 



That C. Clouet applied the proportion of r-3d of carbonate 



of lime, from a calculation of the quantity of carbonic acid it 



contained, and thence the quantity of carbon di/engaged by 



its probable dccompofition, will appear very evident from an 



analyfis of the experiments performed by citizens Guyton, 



D'Arcet, and Vauquelin. 



• The quantity of iron operated upon in this experiment 



was 6914 grains. Admitting, according to Clouet, that J,;d 



part of carbon was fufficient to convert this quantity into 



ilecl, then 216 * grains of carbon are requiiitc for this pur- 



pofe. ^Ve find that one-half of the flux ufcd amounted to 



2304 grains of carbonate of lime. If we fuppoCe this united 



with 36 per cent, of carbonic acid, then the Vefulting quantity 



&f acid will be 829-44 grains. Granting, according to La- 



voifier, that the component parts of carbonic acid are 72 of 



oxygen and 28 of carbon, then by the following formula we 



, 820U4 X 28 • f 1 I ^ • 



have — = 23 2 "5 grains or carbon, nearly. Grams. 



Contained in this portion of lime . - 233']^^- 



Quantitv of carbon neceflary to {leelify the iron at 



the rate of 3',d part _ _ _ T-iS' f^ 



This fmall difference is eafily accounted for by fuppofing the 

 Icfs difference to have exlfted as to the quantity of carbonic 

 acid contained in the lime ufed bv Clouet. 



I think it probable, from the coincidence here pointed out, 

 that the other proportions of Clouet were fixed by the fame 

 Itaudard of calculation ; at Ivaft, the detail of experiments 



whicu 



