[ 295 ] 



LIX. On Cast Iron and Steel; with Experiments to ascer- 

 tain whether Manganese may he alloyed U'ith Iron. By 

 David Mushet, Esq. of Coleford, Fore.il of Dean. 



To Mr. Tilloch. 



Sir, — As soon as the following analysis of Swedish iron and 

 steel, hy Bergman, was generally known to the iron- trade of this 

 country, an expectation prevailed tiiat hy comhiiiiiig manganese 

 witR the ironstones or iron ores used at our own furnaces, or by 

 the discovery of an iron ore already combined with manganese, 

 a quality of cast iron would be produced, that might be manu- 

 factured subsequently into bar iron fit for making good steel, 

 r Plumbago .. .. 2-20' 



/M ^ . J Manganese 



Cast iron < <>.,. * ., 



I JMiiceons earth 



t. Iron 

 r Plumbago 

 Steel < ^f^"g«»e^e 



j Siliceous earth 



v. Iron 



r Plumbago 



r> . J Manganese 



Bar iron < cr 1.1 



j hihceous earth 



(_Iron 



IJ^H 100 parts. 



8()-3() J 

 •50^ 



^ .nr^ > 100 parts. 



.. 83-65 J 



.. J. in 



,^c V 100 parts, 



\. 84-788] 

 I am not aware of any regular series of experiments having 

 been performed on the large scale, to justify the general expecta- 

 tion. The late Mr. Reynolds used manganese, not in the 

 smelting furnace, but in the subsequent operaiion of refining the 

 cast iron, doubtless with a view to effect a combination of the 

 metal of manganese with the iron, corresponding to the above 

 analysis. The steel manufactured from this iron was in point 

 of quality, I believe, superior to any formerly made from coke 

 iron in this country, but I believe that no direct experiment 

 was made to ascertain whether any metallic manganese, and 

 what quantity, became united to the iron. 



Steel-iron and steel have since been manufactured to some 

 extent near Ulverston, not with coke but wood charcoal, and 

 the quantity or fitness of the iron for steel-making attributed di- 

 rectly to a portion of manganese in the ore. 



In the above analysis there is a decided anomaly, which of 

 itself would be sulficient to lead to a suspicion of the accuracy of 

 the result. If in the first place it is admitted that the origin<'tl 

 crude iron contained I5{ per cent, of manganese, it is extremely 

 improbable, from the superior affinity of manganese for oxygen, 

 that no extra proportion of this beyond that of the iron should 

 t4 be 



