Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-17
PLENTIFUL In CLAY.
Remarkable Properties of That Won
drOus Metal, Aluminium.
SPECIMENS AT THE EXPOSITION.
The Day of Nickel-Cased Watches Nearly
Over and Tin Going Fast.
TIE QUESTION OF COST WILL SOLVE 1T


Aluminium, the metallic base Of alumina,
is widely difused over the earth in the shape
of clay, loan, etc. The adamantine, the
ruby, the eorundum and sapphire are
alumina nearly carbonized In these forms
alumina is next to the diamond, the hard
est substance known. Aluminium is white
metal with blush tinge and luster some
what resembling silver. From its bright
ness, hardness, ductility, sonorousness.
non-liability to rust, and resistance to the
action of sulphurated hydrogen, it is
largely employed in the preparation of
alloys and for the manufacture of articles
for which silver was formerly employed.
Aluminium gold is an alloy of 10 parts
aluminium to 80 OF copper, of pale gold
color, harder than bronze and susceptible of
fine polish. Its hardness and tenacity pc
culiarly adopt it for journals and bearings.
Aluminium is the most plentiful OF the me-
tallic elements, though to the general puDllc
scarcely known. 1t has been the dream OF
metallurgists for the past 30 years to get i iso-
lated from its compounds SO as to MAKE Il
everyday life. 1t has been known almost 100
years, but has been an article of commerce for
only 30 years and its price has ranged from 80
to SH per pound.
HALL HAS A NEW PROCESS.
Now Mr. Charles Hall, of Oberlin, o.. comes
with a new process by.which it is procured at a
reduced price by reducing tho metal direct
from its oxide, as iron Is gotten in blast fur
mace, but instead of this reduction taking
place by the action of heat it is performed by
means-of electroysis the same as electroplat-
ing. except that instead of plating it is simply
Drecipitated.
About year ago Mr. Hall came to Pitts
burg, and out Of his coming grew the Pitts
burg Reduction Company. whose works are on
Smallman street, near Thirty-second, and the
result of its work may be seen in the Exposi-
tion building.
Operations began in December last, and one
of the company said: 'Since we began opera
tions we think we have nearly perfected our
process so that We can turn out LIDO or 300
pounds pure metal per month: In April the
metal was quoted at $40 OO@l4 90 per pound;
now it is quoted at 3"
An idea of some of its properties can be
gotten from the statement that the tensile
strength of brass is $1,000 pounds per square
inch, while that of aluminium is about 10000.
Brass is 311. gold 7-l0 and silver about 4
no as G as ANU oldinary Goes
but retains both polish and 1uster. 1t may
eventually take the place Of tin for domestic
uses and for roofing. 1t may be made into
wire and be used for the sewing of wounds.
CAPABLE OF A FINE POLISH.
AS it does not tarnish and takes on a fine
polish and lustepit can be used to advantage
as lace in ladies' garments. 1t is an excellent
material for ceilings and wainscotng, signs,
etc. 1t can be rolled as thin as gold or silver,
and never gets black.
While aluminium is a large constituent of the
bricks in our houses and of fire-brick in clay,
being in the form of silica, it is used in the
works mentioned in the form of oxide
called bauxite. As the metal Is now produced
at cost OF less than one-fourth that of silver.
and as it answers all the purposes to
which that metal has ordinarily been
definitely in the fine arts. While it may
not be used in the manufacture of fruit cans
this year, or even next it is already being
used IN the fabrication of fruit knives, medical
and other spoons ice cream shovels, soup
ladies' crumb scrapers and thousand and one
things for which silver and brass have been used
heretofore. The alloy Of 10 per cent alum
mum and 80 per cent copper produces al
bronze of immense strength, and Is diffieult to
distinguish frem pale gold except by weight.
rHAs GREAT STRENGTH.
1t can be seen in the form of watch cases, |
lockets, etc., which defy detection by sight |
alone, and yet it adds SO much to the strength |
of cast-iron that it is used in the making of |
cook stoves, one tenth of per cent being used |
in some places to mix with pig iron greatly |
improving texture and strength.
Its ductilty is such that it can be rolled into |
sheets SO fine that the tanning of hummiEg |
birds wing would agirate them, and yet it can |
be made cheap enough to be used in the max |
ing of boats to run on fresh water. Ii is not
peculiarly adapted to withstand chloride Of |
sodium, however. to an unlimited extent, so for |
sea-going boats it would not answer quite so |
well. The manufacturers claim that it is good |
for telegraph and telephone wires, being good |
conductor of electricity.
While the makers may he thought, by some |
to be too sanguine in their estimate of the |
ability of science to reduce cost yet there ap- |
pears to be a solid sub-stratum for their en-
thusiasm, and IL may not appear strange to
those who believe that the highest type of Or
ganic life was made from clay to conceive that
from it may be extracted one of the most use
full, if not the most precious, metals. II is
sonorous to degree that throws silver far /
into the background as bell metal.