Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c45.s1.9

v2.c45.s1.9

The concepts of alloy (*miśraloha*) and heat-treatment were first put into literature by Somadeva in his *Rasendra Cūḍāmaṇi*, and *RRS* followed Somadeva. *Nirvāpana* or *nirvāhana* was defined as the art of putting one metal into another through *vaṅkanāla* (8.24-8.25). This was probably practised by introducing zinc vapour into molten copper to make brass. Addition of foreign substance to molten metal was also known as *āvāpa* or *prativāpa* (8.52).