THE PHORMIUM FIBRE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1584, 12 June 1874, Page 249

THE PHORMIUM FIBRE.

Mr J. A. Gird, hon. secretary to the Canterbury Flax Association, writes, to the Press :—ln the present depressed state of the market for New Zealand hemp, which has been greatly affected by the recent downward tendency of manilla hemp, the following extract from a letter recently received may perhaps encourage those who are still prosecuting the industry. My correspondent writes :—" About ten days back Mr Lockhart wrote me that the firm ( whose head partner had visited the case in the Dundee Museum and examined the fabrics), was prepared to take at once 200 or 300 tons of phormium fibre for "manufacturing purposes, if he could get it at £3O or a little over." lam quite certain if it was at once taken on a scale like this, the price would very soon be enhanced, and double this offer would be readily made. PHOSPHOR-BRONZE.

(Plant Bros., Hardware Gazette.)

For some time past the various scientific journals and the press generally have given considerable attention to the new metallic alloy, which is the invention of MM. Montefiore-Levy and DrKuifzel. We feel assured an account of the metal will be of interest to many of our readers. It may briefly be described as a triple alloy, composed of copper, tin, and phosphorus. The combinations of phosphorus with copper and with tin have been known to chemists for a long time. Phosphuret of copper seems to have been first formed about the middle of the last century by Macquer, and somewhat later studied by Bertraud Pelletier, and also by Sage. _ But a closer in vestigation of its superior qualities—with a view to utilizing the numerous advantages it possesses, and which render it invaluable for many purposes—has been reserved until the present time. An extended manipulation and study has resulted in a more complete knowledge of its general properties, and consequently has led to greater perfection in its application. A greater resistance and elasticity have been discovered than had been yet acquired, a method of producing, with ease and certainty, an alloy in which the following qualities are predominant, combined with a durability that can be regulated according to the work to which it is to be applied. By variations in the manufacture it can be made as tough as wrought iron, and yet equal in hardness to that of steel, but possessing the superior advantage of not emitting sparks. The fact of these qualities being combined in one and the same metal render it highly important. The elasticity is great, and holds out undiminished untill rupture takes place. In phosphor-bronze, unlike steel, the gradual wear makes itself apparent in the aspect of the material, and the length of time which will elapse before it will become ineffective may be calculated with, considerable exactness. The metal is said to be perfectly homogeneous, and can be produced with a grain as fine as that of cast, steel. When being cast its fluidity is such that, whether the article be a cannon or a clock-wheel, the mould is taken with extreme nicety. Prepared under suitable conditions of composition and melting, it can be rolled out and hammered with the greatest ease, without losing its tensile strength. Cartridges that can be loaded and fired over one hundred times may be formed from it. The mechanism of breech-loaders has also been made from this material. Six thousand rifles fitted in this manner have been supplied to the Belgian Civic Guard. Of the same material also are cast toothed gearing for rolling mills, hydraulic presses, borers, ecentric straps, piston rings, &c. It is also adapted to the production of works of art and decoration. The ease of casting, the good color (which is like that of gold when mixed with copper), and its resistance to oxidization, adapt it to these purposes.

The English right to this invention has been obtainedby the Phosphor-bronze Company, and the purposes to which it is proposed to put the bronze are well illustrated An the numerous objects shown at the Vienna and other exhibitions, which com- ; prise heavy bearings of machinery, cogged .wheels, guns and cartridge cases, wire, tuyeres for blast furnaces, and ornamental castings of various kinds. Tools and appliances, such as hammers, knives, scissors, hinges, locks, keys, bells, netting and sieves, are constructed of it for powder magazines, on account of the impossibility of their yielding sparks. The bronze is in

somewhat extensive use in these forms in the Government Powder Mills at Waltham. These tools are very hard, and can with difficulty be touched with the file. Ihe samples of mountings of small arms, revolvers, and cavalry fitments have the fine rich color which we mentioned above, and bear a superior polish. By varying the proportion of phosphorus, the particular characteristic of the alloy which is most desired can be modified at will. Cog wheels of phosphor-bronze are found I capable of withstanding violent shocks, and Sir Joseph Wentworth employs the same substance for the bearings of his machinery at Manchester. It is likewise available for bell metal, and is said to produce a much fuller and clearer tone than the ordinary alloy. In air the phos-phor-bronze does not tarnish, and it is alleged to resist the action of sea water better than any other metallic substances. Hence it is proposed as a metal for the sheathing of ships. The price is a little in advance of gun metal, while, as compared with heavy steel castings, it has the advantage of convertibility, and may at any time be re-melted, thus retaining its intrinsic value as a metal. The Americans are employing it as an inner plating for. iron safes, using the hardest description so as to defy drilling. In England and on the Continent, in factories and on railways, phosphor-bronze is approved as for the bearings of axles. Attached to railway carriages, bearings made of this alloy have travelled oyer 50,000 miles with very superior results.

The question of the use of phosphorised bronze as a material for guns is now engaging the attention of many of the European powers. For some time past important trials have been going on with guns of this material in Prussia, andj we understand, with the most satisfactory results. An experiment was made in phosphoric bronze with a 6-pounder gun, which was submitted to a destructive trial in comparison with a similar piece in ordinary bronze, cast by the Royal Foundry at Liege. From the results of these trials, taken at various times during the firing, it appears that the durability of the gun of phosphoric bronze is very superior to that of the gun of ordinary bronze, and that with bursting charges which reduced the latter piece to fragments, the former could be fired with perfect safety. Another modification of the proportions of the alloy and it becomes adapted for manufacturing into tuyeres for blast furnaces, and wc are informed that an ironmaster once using tuyeres of phos-phor-bronze will directly find out the advantages of this metal, and will never again apply other tuyeres. Every blast furnace ,'engineer knows that the trouble of taking out one tuyere produces often more expense than the cost of all the tuyeres together of one furnace. If these eventualities can be reduced only onefifth, the extra first cost cannot be considered any longer. Complete security will scarcely ever be attained, but the application of phosphor-bronze for tuyeres is already an important step [towards perfection.

In conclusion, we may say that phos-phor-bronze is to ordinary bronze, what steel is to cast iron. It may be perfectly controlled to suit every particular purpose for which it can be required. . Its adaptability was distinguished at the Vienna Exhibition of being awarded Diploma of Merit in Groupe 1 for cog wheels,' tuyeres, and bearings, The Medal of Progress in Group VII for revolvers and parts of harness, and in Group XII the Medal of Merit for its application to guns and other war materials.

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