60 On the Alloys of Steel. [ 1 820- 



fying, in a more marked manner, and in more decided forms 

 than the common steel. This can only be accounted for by 

 some difference in the composition of the two bodies, and as it 

 has been stated that only the earths in small quantities can be 

 detected, it is reasonable to infer that the bases of these earths 

 being combined with the iron and carbon render the mass more 

 crystallizable, and that the structure drawn out by the hammer, 

 and confused (though not destroyed), does actually occasion the 

 damask. It is highly probable that the wootz is steel acci- 

 dentally combined with the metal of the earths, and the irregu- 

 larity observed in different cakes, and even in the same cake, 

 is in accordance with this opinion. The earths may be in the 

 ore, or they may be derived from the crucible in which the 

 fusion is made. 



In making the alumine alloy for the imitation of wootz, we 

 had occasion to observe the artificial formation of plumbago. 

 Some of the carburet of iron before mentioned having been 

 pounded and mixed with fresh charcoal, and then fused, was 

 found to have been converted into perfect plumbago. This 

 had not taken place throughout the whole mass ; the metal 

 had soon melted and run to the bottom ; but having been con- 

 tinued in the furnace for a considerable time, the surface of the 

 button had received an additional portion of charcoal, and had 

 become plumbago. It was soft, sectile, bright, stained paper, 

 and had every other character of that body ; it was indeed in 

 no way distinguishable from it. The internal part of these 

 plumbago buttons was a crystalline carburet : a portion of it 

 having been powdered and fused several times with charcoal, 

 at last refused to melt, and on the uncombined charcoal being 

 burnt away by a low heat, it was found that the whole of the 

 steel had been converted into plumbago : this powder we at- 

 tempted to fuse, but were not successful. 



It will appear by the following experiment, that we had 

 formed artificial wootz, at a time when this certainly was not 

 the object of research. In an attempt to reduce titanium and 

 combine it with steel, a portion of menachanite was heated with 

 charcoal, and a fused button obtained. A part of this button 

 was next fused with some good steel; the proportions were 

 96 steel, 4 menachanite button. An alloy was formed, which 

 worked well under the hammer; and the little bar obtained 



