November 17, 1892] 



NATURE 



59 



extra heat of the bath, but this may not be strictly 

 true, for something Hke solution may also take place. 

 In melting iron in the reverberatory furnace it often 

 happens, when the heat is insufficient, that the iron sets 

 in a pasty semi-fluid mass on the bottom of the furnace ; 

 the operator then adds some molten iron, and the whole 

 soon becomes fluid. 



This process is closely akin to solution. It cannot be 

 explained as simple fusion of iron in iron ; the molten 

 iron, in fact, seems to exert a solvent action on the pasty 

 metal, and heat alone plays only a secondary part. 

 This may seem absurd to those not practically engaged 

 in the manufacture of iron, but the fact remains as the 

 result of the experience of iron-workers. 



It follows that other metals can be similarly taken up, 

 and the theory of certain iron alloys simplified. There 

 are certain metals intimately related to iron on the pe- 

 riodical scale of the elements, also by atomic volume and 

 atomic weight, and their combination with iron may be 

 achieved by fusion, and possibly something like solution 

 as well, as described, resulting in the production of a 

 similar homogeneous product, which compound metal 

 cannot well be termed either a solidified solution of one 

 metal into another, a chemical combination, or inter- 

 mixture of metals. The physical properties of this alloy, of 

 course, are different from those of iron. This seems an 

 extreme view to take, but it may be mentioned that the 

 absolutely pure elements prepared by special experts are 

 known in some instances to differ somewhat from those 

 accepted as such in an ordinary laboratory. It has been 

 also noted that the so-called impurity extracted does not 

 differ very greatly from the pure product, and yet is not 

 precisely the same — (quoting from memory, " this applies 

 especially to alumina," why not iron?) 



As the result of an extensive experience in the che- 

 mical examination of crude iron, steel, and the purest 

 wrought iron, one finds that some metals cling persist- 

 ently to iron — manganese is always present, nearly all 

 contain copper, nickel also may often be detected if sought 

 for, chromium is not so rare a constituent as might be 

 supposed — all, however, in minute quantities in the case 

 of wrought iron or Bessemer decarbonized metal. 



It is curious that these particular metals should cling 

 to iron, but the previous exposition of their relation to 

 iron possibly affords a clue accounting for their persistent 

 presence. 



Again, one gathers from a study of Crookes's theory of 

 the genesis of the elements, together with his spectroscopic 

 researches on the composition of the rare earths, yttria, 

 &c., that one so-called element apparently merges into 

 another by almost insensible gradations ; it is probable 

 that iron is one of these. Probably it is, for recently it 

 has been all but demonstrated by Prof. Roberts-Austen 

 and others that iron is a C(Mnpound body, but the rela- 

 tions betwixt these bodies are so close that they have not 

 been isolated, and both are still termed iron. 



We have evidence of the possibility of one element 

 merging into another and that iron is not an element, 

 and any one who has studied the periodic law cannot fail 

 to see at least the probability that minute variations in the 

 composition of the elementary bodies may occur, which, 

 however, cannot well be differentiated by our present 

 comparatively coarse analytical methods. Modern 

 methods, however, have been sufficiently accurate to 

 enable us to show that certain relations can be traced 

 throughout the whole series of the elements, and it is in 

 this way that the periodic law has been formulated ; and 

 fairly trustworthy atomic weights have been obtained. 



Admitting the possibility of minute variations in the 

 composition of elementary bodies, or more correctly that, 

 as urged by Crookes, an element may have more than one 

 atomic weight — the atomic weight accepted being the 

 mean of these : with the periodic law for our guidance, 

 and also attaching due weight to the relations existing 



NO. 1203, VOL. 47] 



betwixt the weights and volume of the atoms, it would 

 seem that the theory advanced ofthe homogeneous forma- 

 tion of bodies by fusion is in accord with the periodic law, 

 &c., governing the genesis of the elements. 



This is equivalent to saying that a fourth state of com- 

 bination may be imagined, which is — 



(i) Neither solution of one metal in another. 



(2) Chemical combination of bodies. 



(3) Intermixture of bodies. 



Hadfield's alloys of iron and manganese may be mem- 

 bers of this class. 



The first series of these alloys are hard, but when the 

 manganese exceeds 7 per cent, the metal softens ; and 

 alloys containing about 12 to 15 per cent, of Mn are 

 strong, tough, cannot be annealed, and cannot be termed 

 either iron or steel. 



The same to a certain extent, it is believed, applies to 

 the nickel alloys of iron. 



There are other properties, which show that the FeMn 

 alloys are unique. 



The alloys of chromium and iron recently made by Mr. 

 Hadfield appear to be of the same class, as also those of 

 nickel and copper with iron. 



More plainly, the homogeneous compound bodies 

 previously commented upon may be practically termed 

 elementary bodies similar to the quasi-elements of the 

 rare earths studied by Prof. Crookes. These being, 

 however, within the domain of practical chemistry, it is 

 easy to demonstrate their compound nature, not for- 

 getting "that, as previously noted," it is not easy to 

 entirely eliminate these bodies allied to iron. 



We may even go further and assume that the fourth 

 state indicates a species of combination even more inti- 

 mate than the chemical combination of the chemists. 



In fact, reactions " occur quite unlike chemical com- 

 bination in which atoms only combine with atoms, or 

 bodies are built up atomically." The fourth state may go 

 beyond this ; at present this is pure assumption ; yet an 

 eminent man of science has suggested that even the 

 atoms may be smashed, and this is equivalent to saying 

 that under certain conditions the atom may be non- 

 existent ; or in an alloy of, say, iron and nickel or iron 

 and manganese, the separate atoms of iron and mangan- 

 ese do not exist ; or in an alloy of iron and Mn or 

 nickel, the severally separate atoms of Fe and Mn, &c., 

 may have no tangible existence apart from each other, as 

 in the case of true chemical combination. Further, this 

 seems more probable if we remember that chemical com- 

 binations are, according to modern views, nothing 

 more nor less than structural formations governed by 

 physical laws which regulate their molecular arrangement 

 and the relative positions of the atoms to each other, 

 just as in any structural work built by the hand of man, 

 certain laws or rules must be adhered to. In Nature's 

 laboratory something beyond this may be going on — 

 something, indeed, altogether outside our limited know- 

 ledge and experience. 



Iron is only one member of a very complicated group, 

 which are closely in accord both as regards their atomic 

 volumes and weights and position on the periodic scale of 

 the elements ; and, if we are to accept the work of Prof. 

 Crookes, the well-known investigations of Prof. Roberts- 

 Austen, Osmond, and some data derived from the 

 spectroscopic work of Lockyer, one may be really justified 

 in assuming that quasi-elements may be formed by fusion 

 in the workshop— /.(?., elements which can afterwards be 

 dissociated by ordinary chemical processes. The 

 accepted elements, it is true, have not been so dissociated; 

 but it is clear something has been done to indicate the 

 compound nature of at least some of these. 



The theory of the possible existence of iron as a quasi 

 element when fused with other elements of like nature 

 clashes with the generally "received ideas of chemical 



