54 REPORT—1874., 
14:4 litres of the mixture, 1 yol. Cy+6 vols. CO,, during 3 hrs, 10 min. were 
passed over pure peroxide of iron, after which for every 100 of iron it was found to 
consist of — 
Tron in the metallic state, ,.,..secsespeonseess Bod 
Tron as an oxide ........ fo asehaatel 'aeSiacelakels Rieteene 77°3 
Associated with oxygen.............. aici aurea pean 
CAPbOM sieve wiwhesereiece varaldle MMM eer | 13:8 
Experiment 12.—Pure peroxide of iron was exposed during a period of 2 hrs. 
50 min, at a similar temperature to that of the previous experiment; but the gas 
(16 litres) consisted of 1 volume of cyanogen to 15 volumes of carbonic acid, and 
for every 100 of iron the product consisted of— 
Tron in the metallic state......,..000eee msoge- OD 
Tron as an oxide ........... t state's @iuame ies 100-0 
Ore sige anh Re om omeHiaR qee enale eg temnaals 28°9 
CGUREDOT cos etn sretvataar nue nn Ges bee citaan alsin 05 
In this case the iron is almost precisely associated with the necessary oxygen to 
form protoxide. 
In all these experiments cyanogen has been employed in its uncombined state, 
whereas in the blast-furnace this substance is almost entirely united with potas 
sium or sodium. The difficulty, if not indeed the impossibility, of adjusting known 
proportions of a vaporized cyanide and carbonic acid induced me to use the 
cyanogen in the manner described. I did not hesitate to adopt this mode of proce- 
dure, because I almost invariably found the quantity of cyanogen, when compared 
with the potassium and sodium in the gases, indicated the decomposition of this 
compound of carbon and nitrogen during their progress through the heated con- 
tents of the blast-furnace. 
Tn eight trials, at an aperture 8 feet above the leyel of the tuyeres, the average 
quantities per cubic metre of gas were found to be— 
EE OUBBBIUTO esi teceresciers aivcricie oa ecu aie arene San niet .. 24°73 grammes. 
Sodiumy« Aievyi. vs Ge oy TE Cie pete Gia, PORTA iekilek ae 4:38 iF 
Cyangeen .eeGees c's 2 Ratan ts angie oe SO At Rhea: 15:06 es 
whereas at the point of exit of the gases, about 65 feet higher up in the furnace, 
there was only found in an average of five trials :— 
EOURPEIOCHMD sa wnin ny caece uae eis aja au Datitcte tats etelanete, aie, 7:04 grammes, 
OURO. MERE oe cons wn six ued. saunas vera ts oa 2:03 on 
As 
MOGEMOR ETE Gaile shecrc sinc oy3)2; harass: r.4, 0,4 one Ogu ae N oY (/ (oan 
In the first case 100 parts of the metals are accompanied by 51:7 per cent. of 
cyanogen, whereas in the second this is reduced to 41°5 per cent. The diminution 
in the potassium and sodium themselves is, of course, due to their condensation 
among the cooler contents of the furnace; and it is in this way that the great 
accumulation of these cyanides and other alkaline salts can be accounted for, and 
which in one case amounted per cubic metre of gas to :— 
POCASSTET Pec, oieis: 0 ciate asi. 9:6) 5 op 0 ate ee aI Pa 73°47 grammes. 
Sodium ....... SSloci Re acaba Ran OLAS Rha ae veses 39°23 ys 
Cymnozen.. coy. AE OE OTRO ALE PE. SUO GER, TUG 49:06 ', 
It would of course be rash, in the absence of actual examination of the gases of 
one of these Austrian furnaces, to ascribe their superior action to the use of char- 
coal instead of coke. All, therefore, that this paper can pretend to is an indication 
of the direction in which the cause of the difersnee may lie; for it seems clear 
that oxygen may be present in much larger proportions in a mixture of cyanogen 
and carbonic acid than in one of carbonic oxide and carbonic acid, and a strong 
reducing and carbon-depositing tendency still retained. Possibly also the mere facts 
as they are here described may not be considered devoid of scientific interest. 
In conclusion, I would remark that it is only when white iron is the object 
sought for, that this unusual economy of fuel is apparent in Austria. This, I haye 
