366 On the Alloys of Steel. 



named metals. Tlie whole of this was returned in bars re- 

 markable for smoothness of surface and beauty of fracture. 

 Our own observation, as well as that of the workmen employed 

 to make from it various articles of cutlery, was, that this al- 

 loy, though not so hard as the former, had considerably more 

 toughness : this property will render it valuable for every pur- 

 pose where tenacity, as well as hardness, is required; neither 

 will the expense of platina exclude it from a pretty general ap- 

 plication in the arts; its excellence will much more than repay 

 the extra cost. 



The alloys of steel with rhodium have also been made in 

 the large way, and are perhaps the most valuable of all ; but 

 these, however desirable, can never, owing to the scarcity of 

 the metal, be brought into very general use. The compound 

 of steel, iridium, and osmium, made in the large way, is also 

 of great value ; but the same cause, namely, the scarcity and 

 difficulty of procuring the metals, will operate against its very 

 general introduction. A sufficient quantity of these metals 

 may, perhaps, be obtained to combine with steel for the pur- 

 pose of making some delicate instruments, and also as an ar- 

 ticle of luxury, when manufactured into razors. In the mean 

 time, we have been enabled, repeatedly, to make all these 

 alloys (that with palladium excepted) in masses of from 8 to 

 20lbs. each; with such liberality were we furnished with the 

 metals from the source ah'eady named. 



A point of great importance jn experiments of this kind 

 was, to ascertain whether the products obtained were exactly 

 such as we wished to produce. For this purpose, a part of 

 each product was analysed, and in some cases the quantity 

 ascertained ; but it was not considered necessary in every case 

 to verify the quantity by analysis, because, in all the experi- 

 ments made in the laboratory, the button produced after fu- 

 sion was weighed, and if it fell short of the weight of both 

 petals put into the crucible, it was rejected as imperfect, and 

 put aside. When the button gave the weight, and on analysis 

 gave proofs of containing the metal put in to form the alloy, 

 and also on being forged into a bar and acted on by acids, 

 presented an uniform surface, we considered the evitlence of 

 its composition :,s sufficiently satisfactory. The jirocesses of 

 analysis, though simjile, we shall briefly state : the information 

 may be desirable to others who may be engaged on similar 

 experiments ; and further, may enable every one to detect any 

 attempt at imposition. It would be very desirable at present, 

 to possess a test as simple, by which we could distinguish the 

 wootz, or steel of India, from that of Europe ; but this, unfor- 

 tunatclv, requires a much more difficult process of analvsis. 



To 



