On ihc Alloi/s of Steel. 'J,(i5 



■bales, rior fibres appeared, tlie metals being in a slate cf per- 

 fect chemical combination, and the silver could only be de- 

 lected by a delicate cheroical test. 



With platina and rhodium, steel combines in every pro- 

 portion ; and this appears also to he the case with iridium and 

 osmium : from 1 to 80 per cent, cf platina was perfectly com- 

 bined with steel, in buttons of frcm 500 to 2000 grains. With 

 ■rhodium, irom 1 to 50 per cent, was succeGsfulJy used. Equal 

 parts by weight cf stesl and rhcdium gave a button, which, 

 when polished, exhibited a surface of the most exquisite 

 teautj- : the colour of this specunen is the finest imaginable 

 for a metallic mirror, nor does it tarnish by long exposure 

 to the atmosphere : the specific gravity of this beautiful com- 

 pound is 9.176. The same prcportiou cf steel and platina 

 gave a good button, but a surface highly crystalline renders 

 it altogether unfit for a mirror. In the laboratory we ascer- 

 tained that, with the exception of silver, the best proportion 

 of the alloying metal, when the object in view was the im- 

 provement of edge-tools, was about -^^-^ part, and in this pro- 

 portion they have been used in the large way. It may be ri^-ht 

 to notice, that in fusing the metals in the laboratory no flux 

 ivhatever was used, nor did the use of any ever appear to be 

 ■required. 



Silver being comparatively of little value with some of the 

 alloying metal?, we were disposed to make trial with it as 

 the first exj^eriment in the large way. Slbs. of very good 

 Indian steel was sent to our agent, and with it j — part of 

 pure silver : a part of this was lost owing to a delect in the 

 moukl; a sufiicient qi'.antity was however saved, to satisfy us 

 as to the success of the experiment. This, when returned, had 

 the most favourable appearance both as to surface and frac- 

 ture; it was harder than the best cast steel, or even tlian the 

 Indian wootz, v.ith no disposition whatever to crack, either 

 imder the hammer, or in hardening. Some articles, for va- 

 rious uses, have been made from this alloy ; they prove to be 

 of a very superior quality; its ap.plication v/iil probably be "ex- 

 tended not only to the manufacture of cutlery, but also to va- 

 rious ticscriptions of tools; tlie trifiirg addition of price can- 

 not operate against its very g-eneral introduction. The silver 

 alloy may l)e advantageously used ibr almost every puipose 

 lor which good steel is recjuired. 



Our next ex})eiiuient made in the large way, was with stee! 

 and platina. lOlbs. of the same steel, with jlj^ jiart of pla- 

 tina, the latter in tlie state produced by heating the ammonia 

 muriat€ in a crucible to redness, was forwarded to our agent, 

 with instructions to treat this in the same wav as the last- 



