Ductile Iron

An important future in the mechanioal world is predicted by a writer in Engineering tor the material known as ductile iron, now being introduced. lts tensile strength is represented to be 63,000 pounds and more to the square inch, and, after being heated to a dull red and plunged into cold water, it can be easily flled, sliowing that it takcs no temper. Specimens are shown which have had portions heated and drawn out under the hammer atter beiug twisted cold without fracture, and a notable piece of work of the new metal is mentioned - viz. , a heavy chain, of which the links were cast open, then joinedand welded without the use of flux ; also valve sterns, crank shafts and other similar pieoes finished topattern in a lathe and exhibiting surfaces without a blowhole, intricate castings, too, being reproduced regularly without failure, while a very high percentage of losses has attended other raethods of producing very strong castings. The main question, however, is that of cost, for there are foundries that produce castings which will stand all the above tests, but without being really cheap, as is claimed for this new method.