Mushet, << MUHSH eht, >> Robert Forester (1811-1891), was an English metallurgist. In 1870, he patented a special tungsten steel that had remarkable self-hardening qualities. It was especially suitable for machine tools, because it retained its cutting edge, even when red-hot from friction. Mushet also helped improve the Bessemer process of steelmaking. He discovered that adding an iron-manganese alloy called spiegeleisen to molten steel helped recarburize the steel. This discovery led to improvements in the strength of the steel (see Iron and steel (History) ). Mushet was born in Coleford, England.
