The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-03-13
ALUM1NUM.
BY PROF. Q. 4. JOY.

prepared by Professor Woehler, at the UNIVERSE
ty Of Gottingen. He sealed the little pellets in
q glass tube, and it was not thought that the
metal could ever have any useful applications.
The discovery rested dormant for thirty years,
when attention was called to it by the eminent
French chemist, Devllle.
The. circumstances were as follows: The EN-
peror Napoleon, anxious to display some inter-
eat I'm scientific matters, appropriated fifty
thousand francs to defray the expenses of re-
searches into the properties and use Of aluminium,
and Henry st. Claire Deville was authorized to
make the experimental. We happened to be in
Paris when this took place, and were one day
invited by Professor Deville to witness the prep
aration Of the metal in the presence Of the
Minister Of War, Professor Dumas, and Of other
celebrities. Deville, who is the most genial,
popular, and successful Of the French chemists.
received his guests with great cordialitv and ex-
planned, in the clearest possible manner, every
step Of the operation. He extracted . pure,
silver-white metal from lump Of clay. The way
he did this was very simple. Chlorine gas was
passed over heated clay mixed with charcoal,
and the chloride of aluminium thus produced was
driven over melted sodium. The chlorine frat
extricated the metal from the clay, and was in
turn decemposel by the sodium. In chemistry,
might makes right, and every compound can
be attacked and forced to capitulatc If the prop
or weapons are brought to bear upon it. The
aluminium was first seduced from its strong eta.
del of clay by the chlorine, and was then attacked
aud captured by the sodium.
The experiments, in small way, having
proved successful, extensive works were estab-
lished in the neighborhood Of Paris, where
aluminium was manufactured On large scale.
At the Paris exhibition Of 1857, Mr.. Paul Norm
exhibited numerous objects manufactured from
pure aluminium and from its alloys.
The specific gravity Of the metal is 2-67. tits
tin white, fusible at red heat brilliant, mallea-
BILE, ductile, sonorous, an excellent conductor of
electricity, insoluble in dilute sulphuric acid.
and in concentrated nitric acid easily soluble in
decompose water, as was ct first supposed, and
does not oxidizs materially in the air.
Professor Henry Wurtz, of New York, has re-
Gently discovered that if it be rubbed with
mercury it oxidizes so rapidly as to produce
great heat. It was at first found impossible to
solder the metal, but this difficulty has been at
length overcome. When fused with iron it forms
crystalline mass not malleable. Mixed with
copper in the proportions of ton parts Of alumni
um, and ninety parts of copper, it forms beau
tiful alloy, possessed of the color and many of
the properties of gold. This alloy is called
aluminium bronze, and ia now frequently EN-.
ployed for the manufacture Of watch cases, watch
chains, and imitation jewelry. Nearly all the
aluminium now manufactured is converted into
the above alloy and the interest in it, which ut
one time began to flag, is once more revived, and
several new establishments have arisen for its
manufacturer &aI 20 6
Four hundred pounds month are msnufact-
ared in France, and sold at twelve dollars
pound. 1t is also very largely produced in
England. eii
Aluminium ia one of the most abundant metals
ON the earth. It is found in brick and porcelain
clay. in feldspar, in cryoite, in granite. in slate
rocks, in the ruby and sapphire. When iron rusts.
it turns to . red powder, which can be washed
away. When aluminium rusts, or is fused at q
great heat among the crystalline rocks, it gives
to us the precious stones called the ruby and
eapphire