C 570 ] 



LXXXVI. Ow the Combinations of Carbon xmth Silicon and 

 Iron, and other Metals, Jbrming the different Species of Cast 

 Iron, Steel, and Malleable Iron. By Dr. C. Schafhaeutl, 

 of Munich. 



[Continued from p. 523, and concluded.] 



TN scarcely any analytical proceedings has the presence of 

 electro-negative metals been more overlooked, than in the 

 analyses of cast iron, steel, and wrought iron : the best irons of 

 Sweden contain, as we shall soon show, a considerable quan- 

 tity of arsenic, and the celebrated English Low-Moor iron 

 contains still more. By forging the best English cast steel, 

 arsenic is volatilized and may he very easily detected by the 

 smell; and the blacksmiths who forge Low-Moor iron, fre- 

 quently complain of the unpleasant smell which escapes (by 

 them termed a sulphureous smell), causing them often swelled 

 lips. It is for this reason that the Low-Moor iron surpasses 

 in hardness and tenacity all other English iron. The same 

 iron is known for its capability of being converted into bar- 

 steel for coach-springs, although not bearing a higher degree 

 of conversion. 



It is known that Wootz, or Indian steel, as well as cast steel 

 made from Dannemora iron, is particularly adapted for cutting 

 instruments which require an extremely sharp fine edge ; but 

 for purposes in which great tenacity is required, without 

 a particularly fine grain, where the steel is required to be 

 wielded at an elevated degree of heat and in large masses, the 

 celebrated Russian CCND iron is far preferable, containing 

 besides a large quantity of silicon and manganese, also a large 

 quantity of phosphorus. 



To the presence of sulphur as well as arsenic is generally 

 ascribed the property of the iron being red-short, and the 

 sulphur particularly has in this respect a bad reputation. 

 Karsten declares that even the presence of 0"03375 part of 

 sulphur is capable of making the iron totally unfit for use in 

 a red heat, because he caused sulphate of lime or gypsum to 

 be melted down with iron ore in a blast furnace, and found the 

 iron prepared from it perfectly red-short, containing only the 

 small quantity of sulphur just mentioned. But he did not in- 

 vestigate the other contents of the red-short cast iron, which in 

 such case contains always calcium or sulphuret of calcium in 

 its composition as well as sulphuret of silicon. If such a small 

 quantity of sulphur as Karsten mentions, would make iron 

 red-short, no malleable iron at all could be produced by means 

 of pit-coal, as even the softest and best English iron invariably 



