Method of Hardening Copper . 
415 
NO. 81. 
Method of giving the Grain and Hardness of Steel to 
Copper . By B. Gr. Sage.* 
MARGBAFF and Pelletier have published their re- 
searches on the union of phosphorus with different me- 
tallic substances: the French chemist has improved this 
process, and it was by repeating and varying his experi- 
ments that I discovered that the surest and speediest 
means of phosphorizing copper was to take the metal un- 
der the metallic form, to fuse it with two parts of animal 
glass, and a twelfth of charcoal powder; but it is essen- 
tial that the copper should present a great deal of sur- 
face, — an advantage obtained by taking shavings of that 
metal, which are placed in strata with animal glass mix- 
ed with charcoal powder. I expose the crucible to a fire 
sufficiently strong to fuse the animal glass. There is 
then formed phosphorus, the greater part of which burns, 
while another combines with the copper, in which it re- 
mains incarcerated till no more is disengaged, though 
kept in fusion for twenty minutes under the animal glass 
which has not been decomposed. 
When the crucible has cooled, and is broken, the phos- 
phorated copper is found in the form of a gray bril- 
liant button under the glass, which has passed to the 
state of red enamel. On being weighed, it is found that 
by this operation its weight has been increased a twelfth. 
If the pliosphorized copper, when fused, falls on a 
plate of polished iron, it extends itself over it in the form 
of plates differently figured, w hich exhibit the play of co- 
lours of a pigeon’s neck. 
* Tilloeh, vol. 20, p. 159° From the Journal de Physique , Messidor 3 
m, 12 ° 
