Huntsville gazette., 1886-01-09
ALUMlNUM
Ths Metal Destined to Revolutfohfxe tSt
Industrial Arts.

Ths Metall Destined to RevoIutfodfze tSS
Industrial Arts.
1.-THE metal of the future" said &
prominent mechanical engineer to me,
sis aluminium. In few years it will
displace iron and steel, and simply
revolutionize industrial arts every,
where. The millennium will be the
age of aluminium "But," said l.
.'iron is the commonest of all metals.
and aluminium is comparatively rare.
Is there enough aluminium in the world
to take the place Of ironp" "Yes,"
said he, 'and your former assumption
is an error. Aluminium is the most
plentiful of all metals. The world con-
tains ten times as much of it as of iron.
1t is everywhere. Every clay-bed is an
aluminium mine" "What is the rea-
son." l asked, "that it has not already
come into general usep" ''The great
cost of producing it," he replied. 1.-THE
metal called sodium is used in the pro-
duction of aluminium, and it is very
expensive. Numberless methods have
been tried, and hundreds of chemists
all over the world are devoting their
lives to the task of finding cheap way
of producing aluminium. The man who
succeeds will be more fortunate than
though he had found the philosopher
stone. Whoever can produce aluminium
at one dollar pound will make for
tune, while man who can make it for
twenty-five cents pound can buy out
the Rothschilds in day." what is
the cost of aluminium now?" "The
raw materials for making it are not
worth twenty dollars a ton-that is,
twenty dollars for enough to produce a
ton of the metal; but ton of alumni
mum, perfectly manufactured, is worth
twenty thousand dollars"
"What are the valuable properties OF
aluminium" asked, land to what use
can it be applied?" ''It can take the
place of almost every other metal in
the world" said he, land very largely
that of wood also. In the first place it
is very strong. Its tensile strength
is more than three tons to the square
inch greater than that of the best
Bessemer steel. In fact, it is by far
the strongest metal known. A cannon
made of it would be three times as strong
as one made of steel or gun metal.
1t is very stiff or rigid too; three
times as rigid as the best of bronze.
Another important thing is that it will
not tarnish. Neither air, nor water, nor
salt, nor acids, nor corrosive gases
have the slightest effect upon it.
Neither does intense heat change its
color. 1t is the best conductor of heat
known in the world; also of electricity.
1t would make the best telegraph wires
in the world. having twice the conduct
ing power of copper with only third
of its weight, and lasting practically
forever. It is very ductile and can be
drawn into wire more easily than al
most any other metal. Moreover, it is
easily worked cold or hot. 1t is suita-
BILE for anything that iron or steel or
copper or brass or bronze or gold or
silver is used for, from the wheels Of
watch to monster steam engine"
"How does it compare in weight with
other metals?'' cit is by far the light
est; lighter, indeed, than many hard
woods. 1t is little more than one-third
the weight of cast-iron. To be exact, a
cubic foot of aluminium weighs only 166
pounds. The same sized block of cast
iron weighs about 451 pounds; of
wrought-iron, 4S7 pounds; of copper,
554} pounds; of lead, 709 pounds; of
brass, 52S pounds; and of gold, about
1900 pounds. In brief, it is the light
est, easiest worked, strongest, most
durable, and generally the most valu-
able of all metals, and the man who in
vents and patents method of making
it cheaply will revolutionize industry,
and become the richest man in the
world. ."-Treston Cor. Pittsburgh Dis
patch.