870 



SPINET, THE 



tho first is a crystallisable fat, whose melting point is nearly the same as that of sper- 

 maceti itself, but it is much more soluble in alcohol ; it is readily sublimed without 

 decomposition. Cetylic acid stands to cetylic alcohol in the same relation as acetic 

 acid to ordinary alcohol, and may be actually procured from it by oxidation. It re- 

 sembles in many respects margaric acid. By oxidation by nitric acid spermaceti yields 

 a large quantity of succinic acid. 



Spermaceti is a cetylate of oxide of cetyl, and represents in the cetjl series the 

 acetic ether of the common alcohol series. It may also be regarded as a palmitate 

 of cetyl. 



SPERM WHAXiE. Physeter macrocephalus. The animal inhabiting the 

 Pacific and Indian Oceans which produces the sperm oil and spermaceti. 



SPHEHTE. A compound of titanate and silicate of lime. See TITANITTM. 



SPHEROIDAL STATE. Tho name given by Boutigny to the condition assumed 

 by water when projected upon red-hot plates or into red-hot vessels. The fluid gathers 

 into a spheroidal drop, moving with a quick intestinal motion, but under this condition 

 the temperature never rises to the boiling point. See EVAPOEATION. 



SPICES. See the separate articles on different kinds of spice. 



The Spices imported in 1873 and 1874 of which we have returns are the following : 



SPZEGrEXiEISEN. A term applied to a particular variety of highly carburised pig- 

 iron, usually containing a proportion of manganese. It is produced when smelting ores 

 containing iron and manganese, under conditions which, with ordinary ores, would 

 produce grey iron ; that is with a large proportion of fuel to charge, very basic slags 

 from the use of a large quantity of flux, and dense and hot blast. The name is derived 

 from the largely facetted structure of the fracture, which resembles plates of glass. The 

 structure is developed by cooling the iron under the slag, and is not indicative of the 

 proportion of manganese. The amount of carbon is a maximum of 6 per cent., whilst the 

 manganese may reach 15 per cent. Beyond this amount the carbon diminishes, and 

 the bladed structure disappears, while the alloy becomes known as ferro-manc/ancsc. 



The principal localities for the manufacture are in the Rhenish provinces of Prussia, 

 where it is made from the spathic ores of Siegen, mixed with brown and red iron-ores 

 of tho same locality, and from foreign countries ; low-class manganese-ores from Nassau 

 being used to increase the proportion of "manganese when deficient. Under favourable 

 circumstances from \ to J of the manganese in the charge passes into the slag ; whilst 

 from $ to is reduced. In this country the ore used is principally the manganesi- 

 ferous brown ores of Carthagena, or mixtures of iron-ores with others containing 

 manganese. The average of the best Rhenish spiegeleisen contains about 10 per cent, 

 of manganese. It was formerly used for re-carburizing the overblown metal in the 

 Bessemer converter, but now an alloy richer in manganese is generally preferred. The 

 lower quality of spiegeleisen is used for conversion into wrought iron in the puddling 

 furnace. 



Spiegeleisen is made in America from Franklinite, and in Sweden from Knebelite. 



As the conditions of working are similar to those in producing grey iron all tho phos- 

 phorus contained in the ore will be reduced ; it is therefore necessary to be as careful 

 in selecting the materials for spiegeleisen as in making Bessemer pig-iron. 



The iron made from ores with a smaller proportion of manganese than can be used 

 for making spiegeleisen is known as spicgelig or wciss-strahlig, which has either small 

 facetted, or a columnar, fracture. A pig-iron of this class, containing about 2 per cent. 

 of manganese, is made at Weardale, in Durham, from the spathic ores in the lead mines 

 of that district. See STEEL. 



SPXHDXiE-TREE Oil.. See OILS. 



SPINEL or SPIXTEXiXiE. See RUBY. 



SPINET, THE. A musical instrument which was much admired by our 

 grandmothers. It had some resemblance in shape to a modern semi-grand piano, but 

 was much smaller, and, though sufficiently pleasing, very much less effective in tone. 

 It was played similarly to tho modern method, by means of keys putting in motion a 



