TARANAKI IRON.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 October 1918, Page 6

TARANAKI IRON.

RESULTS OF TESTS. Some of the iron produced by the New Zealand Iron Ore Smelting and Manufacturing Company at the Moturoa works at the beginning of September was sent to Auckland to undergo tests. Nine test bars were made by Messrs G, Fraser and Sons at their foundry, and submitted to tests on the Auckland Harbor Board's testing apparatus, in the presence of Mr. Agar, Public Works Inspector, Mr. V. W- Aubel, Am. 1.M.E., recently consulting metallurgical engineer to the company, and Mr. George Fraser, th» company's manager.

Nine bars were cast, each 3ft Gin long, 2in by lin, three of Taranaki pig alone, three containing one part pii? to two parts scraps, one containing two parts pig and one part scrap, and two containing two parts pig- r.o one part scrap. The Government standard requires a bar to bear a strain of 31301b, with not less than a third of an inch deflection- Only one of the bars failed to reach this standard, breaking down at 20001b, but on inspection a distinct flaw was found in the section; this was one part pig to two scrap. Another bar, the same composition, broke at 32501b, and in this, too, a slight flaw was found. Yet another, of pig only, broke at 34001b, and again a slight flaw was found. The other six bars were tested up to 35001b, the extreme limit of tha testing machine, without breaking, and in every case the deflection was fully half an inch. Another test, of which specimens were submitted, was to heat them and put them under a steam hammer and flatten them out. They came through this exceedingly well, especially the pure pig specimen, which was reduced from an inch thickness to about a haf-inch without destroying the texture. The iron was found to machine very well, while a piston ring cast from pure pig showed extraordinary strength. Specimens may be- seen in Mr. E. J. Dcare's window" in Devon Street. \ The Corinna yesterday loaded about 25 tons of pig iron for Dunedin foundries A shipment of five tons has been sent to Auckland and several tons to foundries down the line at Hawera and Wansramii. The furnace will be put into commission again as soon as sufficient fuel :s in hand from Westport.