Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-05-06
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
ALU MIN U NJ.

have noticed in several numbers Of the Integencer
extracts from other papers referring to the recent disco
veres in France touching the metal known as aiamiaum
and have thought, therefore, that the following letter
from NJ. SSTE CLAIRE DEvILLE, author OF the late dis
coveries would not prove unnteresng your readers
The letter is addressed to the usrious chemist DrNAs
of Paris and was communicated by him to the Academy
of Sciences at one of the last sngs. Some ofthe notices
which have left Paris upon this subject have spoken OF
aluminium as absolutely discovery. This is mis-
take The existence of the metal discovered IN 1877
by the chemist WoELHER, Tor VoLHER and NJ DEvILLE,
it seems entitled the credit of nyenting process
by which it is obtained from the auminous earths or
clays in which it exists with facility than by the
known the original dscoverer or to any che
mists up to the present time. Aluminium possesses many
qualities which would make il of great value in commerce.
arts and industry if could be cheapy procured and
in sufficient quantities. but hitherto, on account of the
difficulty in obtaining it, its existence as the metallic
base of alumna has been known only to scientific
interesting fact added to the domain of science, but of
no practical Importance NJ DEvILLE processes to have
invented mode of obtaining it that will cause aluminium
noon to enter with great advantage into use
persedng for many purposes Of the most valuable of
the known metals Here is On extract from NJ DEvnLEs
letters as read by NJ. DUMAS before the Academy Of
Sciences
"You have had the kindness to communicate to let
ter Of NJ Woeher in which that ustrous chemist speaks
to you of his experiments upon aluminium. Allow me
upon this occasion to give you few details intended to
elucidate this question completely The metal which
have obtained by of sodium but with apparatus
quite unlike all those hitherto used appears to me to
differ from the aluminium of M. Woelher essentially by
the dstinctness and decided character of its reactions
This difference is owing to impurities which it is mposs-
BILE when platinum vessels are used in the ope
raons when the process followed is that which has
quite recently been published by NJ Woelher. have
repeated these experiments with the greatest and
like M. Woeher, have obtained aluminium in the form
of grey metallic powder. Upon more attentive e1-
animation there may be remarked with the naked eye
small metallic melted spheres, white like TIM and many
Of them having the diameter of pins head. Minute
analysis has demonstrated to the presence Of sodium
and Of platinum that matter Of which the fusion is de-
termined by the heat of the very lively reaction during
which it is produced and which afterwards only be
obtained again by means Of the blowpipe. This tempe
rature is very elevated especially when compared with
that which use to melt aluminium and which is the In
termediary between the points of fusion Of zinc and silver
The presence of the platinum will explain this considera
BILE difference. The presence of sodium takes from the
metal the greater part of its characteristic properties
for aluminium, according to NJ Woeher, decomposes water
at 100 degrees 22 Fahrenheit and is soluble in weak
acids. Now, thread of aluminium weighing 149 MILL
grammes, 1909 grains troy has been left for more
than half hour in contact with boiling water in glass
vessel. Its surface not tarnshed bedmmed the
water lost of its impidty and the aluminium thread
wire replaced in the balance found to have under
gone change of weight Some globues weighing only
few milgrammes remained for almost three months In
weak nitric acid and all appearance under
went alteration whatever. In boiling nitric acid the
dissolution effected slowly that was obliged, in
operating my analysis to abandon Of attacking
aluminium. Finally, if you let fall gobule Of aluminium
upon causc soda heated red hot and melted in silver
vessel it still ressts this powerful agent The aluminium
used in these experiments and which has been analysed
perfectly pure 1t is upon these properties, joined
to the nalterabty of the metal that base my hopes
Of having discovered substance which may enter with
advantage into common
Eipal1u in fha fharfn "
M. Woelher, we have aluminium in the form OF mcros-
copc gobules or at most large as the head of pin,
according as the reaction may chance to determine
whereas my process enables to obtain Jumps OF the
metal of size limited only by the quantity of matter sub
ected to experiment This has been tested in presence
of several members Of the Academy and yet has not
failed in single instance. will add also that the
aluminium which am preparing, by means OF q new
method which dispenses with all acane reducers, differs
in particular from that which obtained in pure
state by suitably modifying the process of NJ Woeher
have the honor Of submitting to you specimen Its
a.sheet not yet hardened by the action of the rollers
No one trust will misconstrue the motives by which
am actuated in this discussion My experiments cannot
but give increased value Of the finest Of NJ Woel-
hers discoveries, and happy to have been able, by
my Investigations into difficult subject that may have
been supposed exhausted to establish with precision
certain number Of facts In fact there other metals
more common than aluminium, and which are perhaps /
not well known as is generally believed. have been
for long time engaged in the preparation Of work
upon the metals produced and melted by processes
Will uescrloe IL tnls WoEh hoPe W
make known unexpected results. Permit me to cite
for instance nickel and cobd which possess the useful
properties Of malleabity and ductity in very remark
able degree, and also extraordinary tenacity far s
peror to that of ron which has hitherto been supposed
to possess this quality perfectly than any OF the
metals. From NJ. Vertheim's experiments on wires OF
equal diameter made Of ron of Nickel and OF cobalt 1t
appears that the weights which determine the rupture OF
these several wires respectively the numbers 60
iron 80 for nickel and l15 for cobalt This would esta
blsh for cobalt degree Of tenacy almost double that OF
iron Moreover, nickel and cobalt worked at the
forge with the same facility as iron They are perhaps
less subject to oxidation than iron, and may be used for
the same purposes" s
NJ. WoELHER himself, in the communication to NJ. Du
alluded to by NJ DEvILLE in the above letter, says:
GO / obtained in 1S45 melted aluminium having nearly
the color and brliancy of tin and perfectly maeable
obtained also sheet fattened by the hammer, i0 mill
metres (O39370 inch in lesgth and Of density equa
to 26I, slightly magnetic not susceptible OF decompos
ton in water at the ordinary temperature but dsengag
ing little hydrogen at 100 degrees (2l2o Fahrenheit
And he adds in conclusion: extremely curious to
learn the ulteror results arrived at by NJ Devile. 1t
will be rendering great service to science and perhaps
also the useful arts if this distinguished chemist
should succeed in cfecng the reduction Of aluminium by
easier and more economical process"
scientific correspondent of of the journals of
Paris thus describes aluminium ..
This metal is white as silver, unalterable and ex
tremely ductile; yet while being wrought resistance
is perceived which induces belief that its teuacy
considerable than that Of silver II may be hard
ened and its soness restored by the process Of annca
ing Its point OF fusion varies but slightly from that of
silver In fact we hardly know any metal which melts
81 III Exzl... a..