310 History (^‘Chemical Discoveries, 
place when the two metals are chemically combined. These 
results indicated the necessity of diminishing the quantity of sil- 
ver; and 1 silver to ^00 steel was tried. Here, again, were 
fibres and globules in abundance ; with 1 to 300, the fibres di- 
minished, but still were present ; they were detected even when 
the proportion of 1 to 400 was used. The successful experiment 
remains to be mentioned. When 1 of silver to 500 steel were 
properly fused, a very perfect button was produced ; no silver 
appeared on its surface ; when forged and dissected by an acid, 
no fibres were seen, although examined by a high magnifying 
powei’. The specimen forged remarkably well, although very 
hard ; it had in every respect the most favourable appearance. 
By a delicate test every part of the bar gave silver. This alloy 
is decidedly superior to the very best steel, and this excellence 
is unquestionably owing to combination with a minute portion of 
silver. It has been repeatedly made, and always with equal 
success. Various cutting tools have been made from it of the 
best quality. This alloy is perhaps only inferior to that of steel 
with rhodium, and it may be procured at a small expence ; tlie 
value of silver, where the proportion is so small, is not worth 
naming ; it will probably be applied to many important pur- 
poses in the arts. An attempt was made to procure the alloy 
of steel with silver by cementation ; a small piece of steel wrap- 
ped in silver leaf, being 1 to 160, was put into a crucible, which 
being filled up with pounded green glass, was submitted to a 
heat sufficient to fuse the silver ; it Avas kept at a white heat 
for three hours. On examining it, the silver was found fused, 
and adhering to the steel ; no part had combined. The steel 
had suffered by being so long kept at a high temperature. Al- 
though this experiment failed in effecting the alloy of steel Avith 
silver, there is reason to believe that Avith some other metals, 
alloys may be obtained by this process; the following circum- 
stance favours this suggestion. Wires of platinum and steel, 
of about equal diameter, were packed together, and, by an ex- 
pert workman, Avere perfectly united by welding. This was 
effected Avith the same facility as could have been done Avith 
steel and iron. On being forged, the surface polished, and the 
steel slightly acted on by an acid, a very novel and beautiful 
surface appeared, the steel and platinum forming dark and Avhitc 
