1820.] On the Alloys of Steel 61 



was evidently different from, and certainly superior to, steel. 

 This was attributed to the presence of titanium, but none 

 could be found in it ; nor indeed was any found even in the 

 menachanite button itself. The product was iron and carbon, 

 combined with the earths or their bases, and was in fact excel- 

 lent wootz. A beautiful damask was produced on this specimen 

 by the action of dilute acid. Since this, many attempts have 

 been made to reduce the oxide of titanium ; it has been heated 

 intensely with charcoal, oil, &c., but hitherto all have failed . 

 the oxide has been changed into a black powder, but not fused. 

 When some of the oxide was mixed with steel filings and a 

 little charcoal added, on being intensely heated the steel fused, 

 and ran into a fine globule which was covered by a dark-co- 

 loured transparent glass, adhering to the sides of the crucible. 

 The steel contained no titanium ; the glass proved to be oxide 

 of titanium, with a little oxide of iron. These experiments have 

 led us to doubt whether titanium has ever been reduced to the 

 metallic state. From the effects of the heat upon the crucibles, 

 which became soft and almost fluid, sometimes in fifteen 

 minutes, we had in fact no reason to suppose the degree of heat 

 inferior to any before obtained by a furnace : that used in 

 these last experiments was a blast furnace, supplied by a con- 

 stant and powerful stream of air ; the fuel good Staffordshire 

 coke, with a little charcoal ; both Hessian and Cornish crucibles 

 were used, one being carefully luted into another, and even 

 three have been united, but they could not be made to stand 

 the intense heat. 



Meteoric iron is, by analysis, always found to contain nickel. 

 The proportions are various, in the specimens that have been 

 chemically examined. The iron from the Arctic regions was 

 found to contain .3 per cent, only of nickel*, while that from 

 Siberia gave nearly 10 per cent. With the analysis of this 

 last we are favoured by J. G. Children, Esq., and, having per- 

 mission from that gentleman, we most willingly insert the ac- 

 count of this very accurate process : 



37 grains of Siberian meteoric iron gave 48*27 grains of per- 

 oxide of iron and 4'52 grains of oxide of nickel. Supposing 



* Quarterly Journal of Science, vi. 369. 



