Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-18
A NEW INDUSTRY.
A Scientists Invention for Extracting
Aluminium from Clay.

from me Ven york inies
CLEVELAND, O., April 15.-Important
facts bearing on the extraction Of alum
inium from kaolin (clay) on a commercial
basis have been developed in this city
within the past few weeks. Aluminium
has long been known as the metallic basis
Of clay, but in its nature it is so ethereal
that heretofore It's elimination has been
attended with great difficulty and muchex-
pense. Within the past few years. however,
French and English inventors have OBJ
tanned results more or less important, SO
that the present importing price Of slu-
minimum in this country, duty free, is
Sl4 - pound. In England a man named
Webster has established very large works
for the manufacture Of articles from the
new metal, but the cost Of production has
as vet limited its use merely to tableware
and small utensils for household use. The
problem now is to devise a method Of ex-
traction which shall reduce the cost from
81 to 50 per pound. at which figure it can
be used for a great variety of manutac-
lures. such as gun barrels, propeller
blades. wire. and possibly bridge and
railroad work. AS aluminium is four
times lighter than silver and three times
lighter than iron, is nOn-OXidiZable,
of great tenacity and strength, ductile,
and OF superior electric cOnductiyity,
and is, moreover, very widely dit
fused throughout the country-appearing
in all ordinary clay banks. but more par
ticularly in the immense deposits of
kaoin in Connecticut, New York, Vir-
ginia and Georgia, and in veritable
mountain Of sulphate of alumina in New
MeXico-the Importance Of the present
search for cheap method of production
is apparent. Aluminium Will bear sew
eral tons more strain than gun metal, and
much more than Bessemer steel. 1t also
Possesses sOnOrOus qualities superior to
those Of any other metal, and alloys
beautifully 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 FRESH
muth about a year ago announced the
discovery of a very cheap method, but it
has remained for Cleveland parties to
bring the much desired end nearer prac-
teal accomplishment than ever before.
Mr.. +. j. Seymour, a well-knOwn pTacti-
cal metallurgist late of Bridgeport, Conn.
has, as the result of years Of study, sue
ceeded In producing aluminium al low
figure Of cost, and by the aid of a novel
furnace, Just designed, asserts that he
can extract the metal on a commercial
basis and in large quantities. Not to
20 into all the technical details, which
are extremely interesting to metal
lurgists, it is sufficient TO say that
Mr.. Seymour has discovered that
the close affinity existing between
zinc andIaluminium can be utilized in va
porizing, capturing" and depositing the
latter, the separation being effected by
the application Of heat through a furnace,
or rather n series of furnaces, OF peculiar
construction. The charge for eacn tur-
mace is: Zinc ore, 100 parts; kaolin 80
parts; carbon, either anthracite coal or
its equivalent in hydrOcarbOn gas, 12l
parts pearl ash oritS equivalent, 15parts
chloride Of sodium, 10 parts, allintimately
mixed. The retOrts are of steel, and 30
/ inches long by - wide, sides = Of an
/ inch thick. the amount of heat neces-
sary to produce the desired
/ result is about 1900 degrees Fahren-
heit. Properly handled one furnace should
make two charges in p to 30 hours. -Four
men can operate 80 retorts. The number
of ret0rts can be increased to several hun.
dred in a single system. Capitalists have
already manifested an interest in this new
/ process, and the prospects are that opera.
tons on an extensive scale will soon fol
low. Independent Investigations in the
same line in this city have resulted in the
recent incorporation of company with
ample capital for the extraction OF alumni
mum by means Of electricity. Thus far
! the secret of the process has been strictly
guarded, and nothing can therefore be
given as to its details.