was evidently different from, and certainly superior to, steel. This was attributed to the presence of titanium, but none could be found in it; nor indeed was any found even in the menachanite button itself The product was iron and carbon, combined with the earths or their bases, and was in fact excellent wootz. A beautiful damask was produced on this specimen by the action of dilute acid. Since this, many attempts have been made to reduce the oxide of titanium; it has been heated intensely with charcoal, oil, &c., but hitherto all have failed . the oxide has been changed into a black powder, but not fused., When some of the oxide was mixed with steel filings and a little charcoal added, on being intensely heated the steel fused, and ran into a fine globule which was covered by a dark-coloured transparent glass, adhering to the sides of the crucible. The steel contained no titanium; the glass proved to be oxide of titanium, with a little oxide of iron. These experiments have led us to doubt whether titanium has ever been reduced to the metallic state. From the effects of the heat upon the crucibles, which became soft and almost fluid, sometimes in fifteen minutes, we had in fact no reason to suppose the degree of heat inferior to any before obtained by a furnace:—that used in these last experiments was a blast furnace, supplied by a constant and powerful stream of air; the fuel good Stafford shire coke, with a little charcoal; both Hessian and Cornish crucibles were used, one being carefully luted into another,—and even three have been united, but they could not be made to stand the intense heat.
Meteoric iron is, by analysis, always found to contain nickel. The proportions are various, in the specimens that have been chemically examined. The iron from the Arctic regions was found to contain 3 per cent. only of nickel[1], while that from Siberia gave nearly 10 per cent. With the analysis of this last we are favoured by J. G. Children, Esq., and, having permission from that gentleman, we most willingly insert the account of this very accurate process:—
37 grains of Siberian meteoric iron gave 48.27 grains of peroxide of iron and 4.52 grains of oxide of nickel. Supposing
- ↑ Quarterly Journal of Science, vi. 369.
