St. Landry democrat., 1878-05-18
Some Rare Metals.
A Few Of Science Later Discoveries.

1t is stated that four hundred year
ago but seven metals had been discov
cred. while We are now acquainted with
the existence of fifty-one, thirty of which
nearly three-ffths, have been made
known to us since the beginning of thu
present century. The properties of thu
commoner metals are so generally known
that an account would be super
fuous; but as we are always
interested in what is strange, and fire.
quently of no practical use, we may give
brief account of the rarer of these unfa
miliar substances.
| Cadmium is white, malleable and
ductile metal resembling tin. The sui.
phide, known as cadmium yellow, is of q
very bright color, and has other qualities
of great value to artists. The metal
itself seems to be of little use.
Calcium is yellow, ductile and NAL
leable metal, softer than gold. At red
heat it burns with dazzling white light.
Erbium is very rare metal at present,
and seems to resemble aluminium in its
properties and compounds.
Glucinum is a white, malleable and
moderately fusible metal, also resembling
aluminium.
Iridium is very hard, white, brittle
and infusible metal; when pure it is never
acted upon by an acid. The uses to
which the metal can be applied seem to
increase rapidly as it is becoming more
common.
Lithium is a metal resembling silver
in color. It admits of being drawn out
into wire, but has very little tenacity,
1t is remarkable for its extreme lightness
and the readiness with which it is acted
upon by oxygen.
Molybdenum is silvery white, brittle
and iniusible metal. It never occurs
native, and neither it nor its compounds
seem to be of much practical use.
Osmium is chiefly remarkable for its
high specific gravity and infusibility.
Palladium closely resembles platinum
in its properties. An alloy of twenty
per cent. of this metal and eighty per
cent. of gold, is perfectly white, very
hard and not furnished by exposure.
This makes it admirably adapted for
scales for astronomical instruments, but
its high price at present prevents its
general use.
Rhodium is white, very hard and
intusible metal. 1t Is said that small
quantity of rhodium greatly improves
steel. AS it costs considerably more than
osmium, the uses to which il is applied
are very limited.
Ruthenium in everything except
specific gravity resembles iridium. It is
rare and of little practical value.
Strontium is a yellowish, ductile and
malleable metal; burns in the air with
crimson Same.
Thallium is very soft and malleable
metal. 1t is not very rare, but seems to
be Of very little use.
Thorium is an extremely rare metal,
remarkable for its property of taking fire
below red heat, and burning with great
brilliancy- Neither the metal nor its
are of any practical use, but |
its oxide is of interest for its high specific
gravity of o.. !
Titanium is very rare metal, usually |
obtained in the crystalline form. 1t can
be produced also as heavy iron-gray
powder. The crystals are copper>colored
and OF extreme hardness.
Tungsten is hard, iron-gray metal.
very difficult Of fusion. An alloy of ten
per cent. of this metal and ninety per
cent. of steel is of extreme hardness.
Both the metal and its compounds
proved Of value.
Uranium is very heavy and hard,
but moderately malleable metal, resem-
bling nickle and iron; but for its rarity
would be of considerable use, as it is un-
altered at ordinary temperature by air
or water.
Vanadium is present in very minute
quantities in nearly all clays. It is, as
now produced brilliant powder.
Rubidium and caesium so closely re-
semble platinum that no ordinary test
will distinguish which metal is present.
Indium is very soft malleable and |
fusible; marks paper like lead.
Barium cerium, columbium Tor Mo-
bunny, didymium, lanthanium, tanta-
lum, tesbium, yttrium and chromium
are all rare metals. Thei properties are
not very well known.
The discovery of new metal called
yallium has been announced recently, ]
out we believe it has not been isolated.
Shall Sabres be Mustered Out 3?
Tt begins to look as if sword and