0 REPORT— 1868. 
Ten ewt. of Acadian pig metal and 1 ewt. of broken glass were charged 
upon the bed of a regenerative gas furnace (usually employed for melting 
steel upon the open hearth). 
The bed of this furnace was formed of pure siliceous sand, and one object 
in view was to ascertain whether any reaction takes place between silica and 
fluid cast metal, it being generally supposed that metallic silicon is produced 
under such circumstances by the reducing action of the carbon in the metal 
upon the silica or silicates present. 
The cast metal employed in this experiment was Acadian pig containing 
MILiCOne ne eit 1:5 per cent. 
Carbon. rie. e AOR Aas 
In the course of an hour the metal and glass were completely melted. A 
sample was taken out, containing 
SUNCOM sca) -yshaiiaye 1:08 per cent. 
9-90 ‘6 per cent. combined carbon. 
# ae “A graphite. 
At the end of the second hour another sample was taken out and tested, the 
result being, ’ 
Carbon . 
Silicon cea Saateied: -96 per cent. 
Carbon sway We 2:40 ,, combined. 
The physical condition of the metal had now undergone a decided change ; 
the carbon having wholly combined with the iron, rendered it extremely 
hard. 
The amount of silicon having steadily dimimished, these results prove 
that no silicon is taken up by fluid cast metal in contact with silica or silicates. 
The reduction of the amount of silicon in the metal might be accounted 
for by the presence of minute quantities of oxides of iron, produced in melting 
the pig metal, which oxides were now increased by the addition of hematite 
ore in small quantities. 
At the end of the third hour another sample was taken, containing 
Silicon ...... ..) °76 per’cent: 
Carbone. tee 240! 5; combined, 
the metal being extremely hard as before. Additional doses of red ore were 
added gradually without agitating the bath, and the effect upon the fluid 
metal was observed from time to time. 
At the end of the fifth hour the samples taken from the fluid bath assumed 
a decidedly mild temper, when the addition of ore was stopped, and exactly 
six hours after being charged the metal was tapped and run into ingots; it 
now contained 
Silicon........ °046 per cent. 
Carbone ueeaen aa) eaes 
Thus both the silicon and the carbon had been almost entirely removed from ~ 
the pig metal by mere contact with metallic oxide, under a protecting glass _ 
covering. f 
The quantity of red ore added to the bath amounted to 2 cwt., and the — 
weight of metal tapped to 10 ewt. 5 lbs., being slightly in excess of the 
weight of pig metal charged. 
But the pig metal had contained 
Silicon... :..... 1:5 per cent. 
WAT DOME hia sa. 6.c 40 ,, 
Total... ... 35:5iaae 
