Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-04-26
Charcoal and Its Kinsmen.
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BY l.. C. CoOLEi, IA. ~
Among the different forms Of carbon
lan,p-Jlack Is at the same time one of
the most homely and interesting
Pitch or tar, when heated strongly,
gives off dense black smoke. The
blackness of these unpleasant forms is
due to multitudes of little PARTICLES of
solid carbon, which are ready to cling
to any surface against which they may
strike. In obtaining lampblack the
fumes are led over into large cham
Der the fine particles collect against
the walls, and may afterwards be ia
ken out in large quantities as black
powder. This powder is lamp black.
But what is this fine carbon pow
der used for? There is certainly moth
ing in its appearance to command
our respect: on the contrary, we shun
all contact with it, regarding it as a
most unpleasant companion. But it
is not the most beautiful, which are
the most useful objects So, lamp
black is far more useful in the arts
than many other things which appear
much more attractive. 1t is used for
many purposes we must not now
even name them ALL but there is one
of much especial interest that we must
notice it. Look at this word printed
in heavy characters-LAMP-BL LACK.
How black its letters are ! why are
thew so? 1t is because they are made
Of lamp black Pintjng-i1lk is a
mixture of lamp-black and oil. Every
printed mark upon this page is thin
layer of carbon clinging tightly to
the paper. Nevermore let us despise
this grimy dust. No other substance
known could do as well to fill the
high office of preserving thought
upon the printed page, as lamp-black,
because no other substance is SO dur
able as carbon.
Lamp-black, coke, hardcoal and
some other forms of carbon have much
the same properties as charcoal, but
charcoal has other kinsmen SO differ
ent from these that one can sca:cei y
believe them to be carbon at all.
The diamond, most brilliant Of gems,
is nothing but carbon It is crystal
lied carbon. Dull, black charcoal,
very common and ve4y cheap, and
the beautiful dismond most costly OF
precious gems, are only two different
forms Of the same substance.
A roughly rounded pebble found
in the SAID and clay of India and
Brazil, the diamond would hardly be
Clicked up by one whose eye had not
been carefully trained to recognize it
but when polished it is at once the
most beautiful and most indestructi-
BILE of gems, most highly priced even
among the crown jewels of sovereigns
Graphite is the name Of another one
among the kinsmen Of charcoal. 1t
is the substance which so commonly
goes by the name of "black- lead,' and
which is SO we'll known in its most
familiar office, and its most useful
one, too, withal, as the lead of our
lead pencils. This name does not
properly belong to it because it is not
lead, and indeed it has no properties
likethose of lead except that which
allows it to leave marks upon paper
1t is sometimes called plumbago, but
the name by which chemists are bet
ter pleased to know it is graphite.
Graphite is found in the earth. II
is as black as coal but it has a dull
and shining lustre, which coal has
not.
This substance is one of the softest
minerals to be found, and just as per
fectly Opaque as can be. How much
unlike the hard and transparent dia-
mond in these respects
Charcoal, diamond, graphite, how
different to look upon They are not
so much unlike. however in some
other respects. On the contrary they
are very much alike. No fire can
melt any one of them. No liquid ex-
cept melted iron can dissolve them
They can not be changed by exposure
to the atmosphere they suffer no de-
cay, no rust. There is, however, one
substance to whose influence they may
all be made to yield: 1t is, oxygen
We know how easily charcoal burns
when heated in the air, which con-
tains SO large portion Of oxygen gas
so let the diamond or graphite be heat
ed hot enough in oxygen and
it will be consumed Neither Of them
will melt; neither Of them will va
porize; but either of them, when
tortured by heat intense enough,
will join itself with oxygen to form
new and invisible substance.
How the element carbon has come
to have such different forms, no one
can tell No chemist can change
charcoal into diamond, nor can any
one tell how it may have been done
in the great labratory age of nature
The CONSCIENCE CLAUSE Work
ing Nan, Amt you going to send
that boy of yours to school, Bill -