TITANIC STEEL.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 811, 11 May 1871, Page 3

TITANIC STEEL.

It is well kncwn that Mr W. Murray, C.E., has devoted a considerable amount of time and attention to the production of steel from this sand, and he exhibited at the show on the Park Lands several specimens, both of the sand and of the steel in its various stages of manufacture. These he has now sent to our office with some illustrative papers, all of which may be seen by those who are curious in such matters. Mr Murray informs us that the titanic steel-sand, or icerine, has been the subject of his experiments since the year 1861, and that he has only succeeded lately in finding a true, cheap, and sure flux. His process only occupies from four to five hours, and even with his imperfect apparatus he has obtained 9 lbs of steel from 28 lbs of sand. With better appliances the yield would be much greater, as he believes the sand to contain 50 per cent, of metal. "We subjoin Mr Murray's explanatory notes, having reference to the samples lying at our office:—" No. 1. The sand is sometimes as thick as eighteen inches, then a thin layer of common sand, and another layer of black sand. 2. Shows the steel falling from the regulus; this would be about four hours coming. 3. Various results of experiments, occupying. from four to five hours and a half. " 4. Besults of various experiments for five hours, to show grain and malleability. 5. Small chisels made direct from furnace, after about four hours and a half, from sand ; commercial steel, to show grain, and iron cut by the chisels. 6. Crude steel, with manufactured to show grain; this was produced in five and a half hours from the sand. 7. First stage of steel forming from sand. 8. Begulua of steel, reduced from

sand in forty minutes ; this I consider the state for export. 9. Lump of cast steel, reduced from sand in five hours. 10. Slugs. 11. Various iron ores of this colony from which att-el can be" made with my flux. 12. Experiment in smull crucible to show the effect of flux on sand. 13. The metxl titanum, the bright cubical crystals being the metal. It is only found in this state in the slags of the large iron works, such as Lowmroe, &c, and many patents have been taken out with the hope of introducing this metal into the substance of steel—the ' Mushets' steel is called titanic steel. Mr Mushets has,-1 believe, taken out twenty or more patents during the last ten years to do that which my flux accomplishes in a few hours.—" Adelaide Observer."