Cajl Sleel from Bar Iron. 35 



accounted for by taking into conficleration the extra quantity 

 of earths introduced, and filled in contaft with the iron. The 

 vitrid maft had imbibed as large a fhare of the colouring 

 principle, from whatever fource derived, as that in the firll 

 experiment, where not above i-5lh part the weight of the 

 earths were ul'ed to a nearly fimilar portion of iron. The 

 metallic button now produced was fubjeded to the fame tefts 

 with the former, and refults exactly fimilar in every Itage of 

 the examination were obtained. 



The refidts of the foregoing experiments, I conceive, will 

 with fafetv admit of the following dedu6lions : 



That in treating malleable iron with any of the foregoing 

 proportions, of an equal mixture of carbonate of lime and 

 fome vitrified Stourbridge clay-pot, refults in fufion are ob- 

 tained the qualities of which differ fo little from each other, 

 that no change feems to be derived from altering the propor- 

 tions of the earths prefcribed : That in no (liape nor form 

 does iron in this ftate approach to what is commonly under- 

 ftood to be rteel ; nor can it, in any cafe where elafticity, edge, 

 and polifli, are requifite, be ufcd as a fubfiitutc for it. 



It might, however, prove a curious fubje6l of inquiry, and 

 Ml the end be produftive of confiderable utility, to invef- 

 tigate the principle of alteration that takes place in this 

 procefs. The iron lofes in weight from ~th to y'^th part, 

 depending moft probably, in fome meafure, upon the quan- 

 tity of earths ufed. If the deficiency confifts of iron alone, 

 there can be no rcafon afligned why the refulling button 

 of metal fliould be fo completely altered in its properties. 

 This becomes deprived of its malleability when heated be- 

 yond a bright red, and particularly of the properly of weld- 

 ing. It acquires additional fofinefs when cold; and in that 

 ftate will flatten aftonifliingly, without rending, or exhibiting 

 the fmalicll crack. 



C. Clouet, in fufing iron and glafs, attributes to the latter 

 the property of combming with the former. Were a com- 

 bination of earths with iron fiippofcd in the prefent cafe, this 

 would naturally add to the weight of the produft, unlefs a 

 greater qnanlity of iron united to the glafs than left the glafs 

 to unite with the iron. Again, this fiippofition involves the 

 exertion of a double affinity, wherein a preference of predif- 

 pofing caufe caunot.bc attributed to the one more than to 

 the other. It will therefore remain for experiment to decide 

 whether the alteratif)n in quality of the iron is occafioned by 

 an afiTumption or a lols of principle. 



Exp. \\, iief,rc I finifhed lliis part of the examination of 

 \'oL. XII. C C. Clouel's 



