[ 421" J 



XI. Electric Furnace Reactions under High Gaseous Pressures. 



By R. S. HUTTON and J. E. PETAVEL. 

 Communicated by Profesxor A. SCHUSTER, F.R.S. 



Received January 31, Read March 7, 1907. 

 [PLATE 6.] 



CONTENTS. 



r n 



Introduction 421 



Description of apparatus . . . . 422 



Large high-pressure furnace . . . 422 



Carbon feeding mechanism . . . . 424 



Carbon holders 426 



Windows ....... ... 426 



Valves and gas connections ... 427 



Small furnace for high-tension currents 428 



Ga preparation and compression 431 



General observations on the electric arc under high gaseous pressures . . 431 



On the formation of calcium carbide 437 



On the fusion of silica 444 



On the formation of carborundum .... 445 



On the direct reduction of alumina by carbon ... 44C 



Tables I. to X .... 451-462 



INTRODUCTION. 



SOME ten years ago the classical work of HENRI MOISSAN laid the foundations of the 

 scientific study of high-temperatmre chemical reactions. 



It is hardly necessary to recall the rapid and extensive development which the 

 subject has since experienced ; it must, however, be remembered that the progress 

 has been almost exclusively along technical lines, and even at the present time very 

 little detailed work on the chemical "and physical sides of the question has been 

 published. 



Doubtless individual inventors have acquired extensive experience and knowledge 

 each of his special branch of the subject, but they have seldom found it advisable to 

 impart the results of their researches. 



The field of investigation, even with regard to the purely chemical phenomena 



VOL. ccvii. A 423. 17.1.08 



