Page:Experimental researches in chemistry and.djvu/80

1820.] action, and to this we are disposed to attribute the rapid destruction of the metal by oxidation, no such destructive action taking place when the two metals are chemically combined. These results indicated the necessity of diminishing the quantity of silver, and 1 silver to 200 steel was tried. Here, again, were fibres and globules in abundance; with 1 to 300, the fibres diminished, but still were present; they were detected even when the proportion of 1 to 400 was used. The successful experiment remains to be named. 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 power. 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 expense; the value of silver, where the proportion is so small, is not worth naming; it will probably be applied to many important purposes in the arts. An attempt was made to procure the alloy of steel with silver by cementation: a small piece of steel wrapped 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 was 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 kept so long at a high temperature. Although this experiment failed in effecting the alloy of steel with silver, there is reason to believe that with some other metals alloys may be obtained by this process; the following circumstance favours this suggestion. Wires of platinum and steel, of about equal diameter, were packed together, and, by an expert workman, were perfectly united by welding. This was effected with the same facility as could have been done with steel and iron. On being forged, the surface polished, and the steel slightly acted on by an acid, a very novel