*358 Experiments on the Alloys of Steel. 



— that used in these last experiments was a blast furnace, sup- 

 plied by a constant and powerful stream of air ; the fuel good 

 Staffordshire coke, with a little charcoal ; both Hessian and 

 Cornish crucibles were used, one being carefully luted into 

 another, — and even three have been united, but they could not 

 be made to stand the intense heat. 



Meteoric iron is, by analysis, always found to contain nickel. 

 The proportions are various, in the specimens that have been 

 chemically examined. The iron from the Arctic regions was 

 found to contain three per cent, only of nickel, while that from 

 Siberia gave neai'ly \Q per cent. With the following analysis 

 of this last we are favoured by J. G. Children, Esq. 



37 grains of Siberian meteoric iron gave 4S'27 grains of peroxide of iron, 

 and 4"52 grains of oxitle of nickel. Supposing the equivalent number for 

 nickel to be 28, these quantities are equal to 



Iron 33-09, Nickel 3-56, = 37-25 

 Supposing the quantities to be correctly, Iron 33-5, Nickel 7t■'^ = 37"0, the 

 proportions ^^r cent, are, Iron 90'54, Nickel !)'4(;, = lOO'OO. 



A second experiment on 47 grains, gave 61 grains of peroxide of iron 

 = 42-57 iron. The ammoniacal solution of nickel was lost by an accident : 

 reckoniug from the iron, the quantities per cent, are, 

 Iron 90-57, Nickel 9-42, = 99-99 



A third experiment on 56 grains, gave 73'06 grains peroxide of iron = 

 50-99 iron, and 5-4 of oxide of nickel, = 4-51 nickel, or /7d"/- cent. 

 Iron 91.00. Nickel 8-0 1.' Loss 0-99 = 100-00 



The mean of the three gives H-SG/jcr cent. cXnicliel. 



The meteoric iron v/as dissolved in aqua regia, and the iron thrown 

 down by pure ammonia, well washed, and heated red. 



In the first experiment the ammoniacal solution was evaporated to dry- 

 ness, the ammonia driven off by heat, and the oxide of nickel re-dissolved 

 in nitric acid, and precipitated by pure potassa, the mixture being boiled a 

 few seconds. In the third experiment the nickel was thrown down from 

 the ammoniacal solution at once by pure potassa. The first method is best, 

 fur a minute portion of oxide of nickel escaped precipitation in the last ex- 

 periment, to which the loss is probably to be attributed. All the j)recipi- 

 tates were heated to redness. J. G. C. 



We attempted to make imitations of the meteoric irons with 

 perfect success. To some good iron (horse-shoe nails), were 

 added three per cent, of pure nickel ; these were inclosed in a 

 crucible, and exposed to a high temperature in the air-furnace 

 for some hours. The metals were fused, and on examining the 

 button, the nickel was found in combination with the iron. The 

 alloy was taken to the forge, and proved under the hammer to 

 be quite as malleable and pleasant to work as pure iron ; the 

 colour when polished rather whiter. This specimen, together 

 with a small bar of meteoric iron, have been exposed to a moist 

 atmosphere ; they are both a little rusted. In this case it was 

 omitted to expose a piece of pure iron with them ; it is probable 

 that, under these circumstances, the pure iron would have been 

 more acted upon. 



Th^ 



