44 Mr. T. H . Henry on the Composition qfWootz, or Indian Steel. 



ash, and igniting the residue. I obtained thus 0'312 per cent, 

 of graphite ; the sohition in caustic potash was acidulated by 

 liydrochloric acid and evaporated to dryness ; the sihca remain- 

 ing was equivalent to 0045 per cent, of silicium; hydi-osul- 

 phuric acid afterwards precipitated 0-037 per cent, of arsenic ; 

 not a trace of alumina could be obtained from this solution by 

 hydrosulphate of ammonia. 



The solution of the iron in hydrochloric acid was treated by 

 carbonate of baryta, the precipitate rcdissolved, the baryta re- 

 moved by sulphuric acid, the iron precipitated by ammonia dis- 

 solved in. hydrochloric acid and boiled with pure caustic potash : 

 no alumina was extracted. 



The solution of the steel from which the iron had been sepa- 

 rated was, after separating the bar}i;a, evaporated to dryness in 

 a platinum dish ; the residue did not yield a trace of manganese, 

 magnesia, lime, cobalt or nickel. 



To determine the amount of sulphur to control the determi- 

 nation of the silicium and arsenic, and also to give me another 

 opportunity of searching for aluminium, I treated 50 grs. of the 

 steel in the above minute state of di\dsion with pure nitrate of 

 soda, mixed with a little carbonate of soda, at a red heat, in a 

 crucible of pure gold* ; the action was easily controled, and the 

 oxidation was complete ; the mass was treated with warm water, 

 the solution acidulated with hydrochloric acid and evaporated to 

 dx-yness. I obtained thus 0-042 per cent, of silicium, and after- 

 wards by chloride of barium 0-181 per cent, of sulphur, and in an- 

 other experiment 0-170 per cent, of sulphur ; the excess of baryta 

 was removed by sulphuric acid, and the arsenic precipitated by 

 hydi-osulphm-ic acid gave 0-036 per cent. ; no alumina could be 

 found in this solution, and only faint traces of phosphoric acid. 

 I have not been able to deteinnine the amount of sulphur in steel 

 or cast iron nearly so accurately, by the methods of Berzelius or 

 Karsten, as by the above process. 



I was not able to detect alumina in the residue left on dis- 

 solving 500 grs. of this steel in acid, nor on decomposing 117-87 

 grs. by means of a cake of fused chloride of silver. The residue 

 left on the cake of silver weighed 3*81 grs., and lost 2-213 on ig- 

 nition, which required to be continued some time before the odom- 

 of arsenic disappeared ; if we deduct the amount of sulphiur and 

 arsenic from the loss, this will give 1-660 for the total amount of 

 carbon ; but I do not consider this method so accurate as that of 



• I have found it better to alloy the gold with 5 per cent, of platinum, 

 which increases the hardness and renders it one of the most viseful instru- 

 ments which can be employed in delicate analysis ; gold alloyed with 10 per 

 cent, of platinum does not appear to be acted on by nitrates, and is very 

 hard. 



