1822.J On the Alloys of Steel 71 



combined with steel, in buttons of from 500 to 2000 grains. 

 With rhodium, from 1 to 50 per cent, was successfully used. 

 Equal parts by weight of steel and rhodium gave a button, 

 which, when polished, exhibited a surface of the most exquisite 

 beauty: the colour of this specimen is the finest imaginable for 

 a metallic mirror, nor does it tarnish by long exposure to the 

 atmosphere : the specific gravity of this beautiful compound is 

 9' 176. The same proportion of steel and platinum gave a good 

 button, but a surface highly crystalline renders it altogether 

 unfit for a mirror. In the laboratory we ascertained that, with 

 the exception of silver, the best proportion of the alloying 

 metal, when the object in view was the improvement of edge- 

 tools, was about y^th part, and in this proportion they have 

 been used in the large way. It may be right to notice, that in 

 fusing the metals in the laboratory no flux whatever was used, 

 nor did the use of any ever appear to be required. 



Silver being comparatively of little value with some of the 

 alloying metals, we were disposed to make trial with it as 

 the first experiment in the large way. 8 Ibs. of very good 

 Indian steel was sent to our agent, and with it 3^o tn P art f 

 pure silver : a part of this was lost, owing to a defect in the 

 mould ; a sufficient quantity was, however, saved to satisfy us 

 as to the success of the experiment. This, when returned, 

 had the most favourable appearance both as to surface and 

 fracture ; it was harder than the best cast steel, or even than 

 the Indian wootz, with no disposition whatever to crack, either 

 under the hammer, or in hardening. Some articles, for various 

 uses, have been made from this alloy ; they prove to be of a 

 very superior quality ; its application will probably be ex- 

 tended not only to the manufacture of cutlery, but also to 

 various descriptions of tools ; the trifling addition of price 

 cannot operate against its very general introduction* The 

 silver alloy may be advantageously used for almost every pur- 

 pose for which good steel is required. 



Our next experiment made in the large way was with steel 

 and platinum. 10 Ibs. of the same steel, with T ^o tn P art f pla- 

 tinum, the latter in the state produced by heating the ammonia 

 muriate in a crucible to redness, was forwarded to our agent, 

 with instructions to treat this in the same way as the last- 

 named metals. The whole of this was returned in bars re- 



