[ In Digest 970708 Richard wrote about antique electrical fittings
 [ and "Sauereisen Cement", and I asked how the German word might
 [ be translated.  Sehr interresant...!   -- Robbie

Robbie,  I would translate 'Sauereisen' literally as 'sour iron', or more
idiomatically (as the Germans use 'sauer') as 'acidic' or 'bitter' iron.
I have no idea what this actually 'means' -- you know how confusing
German can be if one tries to literally decode the compound words.

However, this term was not coined as a descriptive for the refractory --
"Sauereisen" was the name of the man who invented the concept of using
anhydrous potassium silicate to make a water-setting refractory mortar.
This was done in 1898, in cooperation with George Westinghouse,
apparently for use originally as an electrical potting material.

The company still makes the original formula, but it is no longer touted
for electrical use, perhaps because of the trouble cited.  They also make
a huge variety of refractory castables, mortars, gunning materials, as
well as acid-resistant mortars and coatings, using epoxy, asphalt, furan
rubber, and many different hydraulic cements, and are one of the largest
suppliers of those materials to the steel and chemical industries.

There's all kinds of good stuff you can learn from sales catalogs!