The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-06-26
INTRODUCING A NEW INDUSTRY.
4 scientistis Invention for Extracting
Aluminium from Clay.
New York Timesl

Aluminium from Clay.
New York Timesl
Important facts bearing on the extrae-
ton Of aluminium from kaclin (clay) on q
commercial basis have been developed in
Cleveland, Ohio, within the past few
weeks Aluminium has long been known
IS the metallic basis Of clay tut in its ma
ture IL Is so ethereal that heretofore its
elimination has been attended with great
difficulty and much expense. Within the
past few years, however, French and
English inventors have obtained results
more or less important so that the pres
ent importing price of aluminium in this
country, duty free is $14 % pound In
England man named Webster estab.
lished very large works for the manu-
facture of articles from the new metal,
but the cost of the production has as yet
limited its use merely to table ware and
small utensils for household use The
problem now Is to devise method of ex-
traction which shall reduce the cost to
from 81 to So per pound, at which figure
II can be used for great variety of man
ufactures, such as gun barrels propeller
blades, wire. and possibly bridge and
railroad works.
AS aluminium is four times lighter than
silver and three times lighter than iron, is
non oxiGizable, of great tenacity and
strength, ductile and of superior electric
conductivity, and is moreover, very
widely diffused throughout the country
appearing in all ordinary clay banks, but
more particularly in the immense deposits
OF kaoiin In Connecticut, New York,
Virginia. and Georgia and in a veritable
mountain of sulphate of alumina in New
Mexico-the importance of the present
search for cheap method of production
is apparent Aluminium viii bear several
tons more strain than gun metal, and
much more than Bessemer steel 1t also
possesses sonorous qualities superior to
thoSeaof any other metal, and alloys beau
tfuny with almost any known metal
When the secret of its cheap production
Is generally known a revolution in the
metal world will be the certain result
A Philadelphia chemist named Fries
muth about q year ago announced the
discovery of q very cheap method, but it
has remained for Cleveland parties to
bring the much desired end nearer practi-
cal accomplishment than ever before. Mr..
+. ]. Seymour, a well known practical
metallurgist. late of Bridgeport, Conn,
has, as the result of years of study, sue
ceeded In producing aluminium at a low
figure of cost and by the aid of a novel
furnace. just designed, asserts that he can
extract the metal on commercial basis
and in large quantities. Not to go into
ali the technical details, which are ex-
tremely interesting to metallurgists, it is
sufficient 20 say that Mr.. Seymour has dis
covered that the close affinity existing be-
tween zinc and aluminium can be utilized
In vaporizing. Capturing, and deposit
ing the latter, the separation being eff
fected by the application of heat through
furnace, or rather a series of furnaces,
Of peculiar construction.
Capitalists have already manifested an
interest in this new process, and the pros
poets are that operations on an extensive
scale will soon follow. Independent in
vestigations in the same line in this city
have resulted in the recent incorporation
OF company with ample capital for the
electricity. Thus far the secret of the
process has been strictly guarded, and
nothing can therefore be given as to its
details