IRON.
I have not space enough to enumerate and describe the ores of this metal. Many of the other ores contain iron as an impurity, often sufficient to colour the borax bead. Common clay owes its yellow colour to iron oxide, which turns red when the clay is baked. I should say, speaking roughly, that no compound that did not give a copious magnetic powder with soda on charcoal could be called an ore. For detecting iron, make a borax bead (which must be perfectly clear) as directed under copper, and add small quantities of the magnetic powder, fuse in a pure oxidising flame ; it will be a reddish brown while hot, and a pale yellow when cold. On submitting it to the reducing flame the colour will turn to a dirty green, like bottle glass.
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Bibliographic details
Otago Witness, Issue 1813, 20 August 1886, Page 36
Word Count
136IRON. Otago Witness, Issue 1813, 20 August 1886, Page 36
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