THE TITANIC STEEL AND IRON COMPANY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5107, 6 August 1877, Page 2

THE TITANIC STEEL AND IRON COMPANY.

Some time ago a few pigs of iron made from the ironsand of Taranaki at the above company’s works, were sent to Wolverhampton to be tested, and the following very satisfactory answer has been received : .

“Wolverhampton, June 7, 1877.

“Deae Sib,— We have now the pleasure of handing you a report respecting ‘ pigs ’ forwarded by your good self to us.' These pigs on being broken exhibited a good mottled fracture. In the puddling furnace they worked remarkably well into wrought-iron, and as they were slender—averaging 781 b. each against lewt. generally—did not occupy much time In the working and balling up. The heat was divided into two balls, and rolled into a couple of 4in. bars fths thick. In the process of puddling much thickish cinder was evolved, which, taken in conjunction with the smallness of the quantity of pig worked, accounts no doubt for the deficient ‘ yield.’ ' This we find to be at the rate of 1 ton 3 cwt. 3 qrs. 14 lbs. of pig to the ton of puddled bars produced, or nearly 20 per cent. less, while ordinary good and sound pigs lose about half that per cent. The pig iron weighed 2 cwt. and 101 b., and puddled bars produce 1 cwt. 3 qrs. The puddled iron was afterwards worked in the bar mills in the regular way into lin. round and liin. flat, pieces being cut off for testing in various ways, thus—RouuH, hot, cut down the centre with a cleft for a certain distance, and each half turned outwards, a hole was then punched farther down 1-14th of an inch larger than the diameter of the bar; another hole same size was punched in the opposite direction of the grain a little farther on. Flat, hot, flattened at one end on edge to a disc 2Jin. diameter, and on flat at opposite end in same way; a hole punched in middle of bar 1-16th inch diameter larger than width of bar. “From the actual specimens,' the iron is perfectly free from red shortness. The cold tests are : —Round. One piece doubled over and fractured. Flat : One piece doubled over and fractured. These show treeness from cold shortness. The tensile tests, as per accompanying detailed report, indicate that the iron is exceedingly ductile, the flat having contracted in area nearly 50 per cent., and elongated over 31 or 3g inches in a foot. The ultimate stress is also very good, being respectively 23 and 23 J tons per square inch. You will gather from the foregoing trials, most of them being the British Admiralty requirements for “Best Best” bar iron (whose tensile is 22 tons per square inch, whereas your iron stands 1 and 1J tons above this); that the iron is remarkably well adapted for the better classes of engineering and smith work; aud an inspection of the specimens, which shall be forwarded to you as soon as possible, will enable you to see that they have stood the punishment exceedingly well. We shall be happy to be of any further service to your good self or the company, and remain, dear sir, yours truly, T. W. & J. Walker.

“ P.S.—We should add that, in our opinion, the quality of bar made was quite equal to BBH bars, the presentjeost of which is £9 at the works.—!’. W. & J. W.

“ W. W. Taylor, Esq., Wellington.”