New-York tribune., 1891-05-06
CONTEMPT FOR ALUMINIUM.
A CHEMIST WHO DENIES THAT 1T HAS ANY
OF TIE USES IMAGINED For 1T.


OF THE USES IMAGINED FOR IT.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: 1t is interesting to watch certain crazes which
at certain times In history have taken hold OF and
still AFFECT the minds Of Thus, the tulip craze,
the South Sea craze the balloon craze in the beginning
of this century and end Of the last In the present
age We may notice the aluminium craze. How people
will invest thousands Of dollars hearsay evidence,
when they could ascertain the truth by buying 25
cent. worth of pure aluminium wire sheet belongs
to tho oddities OF capital gone crazy. The yarns
about aluminium are so numerous and repeated
in so many bold and lies that 1t almost
a vain task to try to set people right.
Now, Jules Verne, the champion writer Of scientific
fancy, never uses aluminium much in his fiction.
lie knows too well that it is "no good" In De la
Terre a la Lune" he large aluminium bullet,
not because OF its srcngt but because it is so light.
Not long ago a card from persons interested In the
making Of aluminium came to me stating that alumni
ium IS as hard as STEEL All wrong! The purer the
softer. Pure aluminium is just trI6e harder than
ordinary cheap zinc speer which can be solder Cd
threaded and drilled without difficulty, while pure
aluminium cannot be sodered reliably, and for work
ing is ore of the nascst" metals in existence ono
great point in its favor, but only point Of skin
deep beauty, IS that the aluminium rust forming in
the air IS white. while 1t is brownish red iron
green on copper and gray on zinc-but aluminium
furnishes readily especially In salt air salt water
acts upon III lar moro lndn 10 uOcS upon lfOn
ship built OF aluminium would be full Of holes after
one trip around the globe Therefore for ship build
ing and all parts exposed to the water 1t is even
ntrnscay inferior TO iroI--therefore, not worth
cents pound.
For roofing 1t IS vastly inferior TO galvanized iron,
because ii cannot be soldercd, and much inferior to
zinc-thercforc, not worth cents pound. For
vessels to be used in the kitchen, il could
only be employed If salt was kept away, but
with salt present, 1t would not have the slightest ad
vantage over ordinary tin pails-therefore would not
be worth cents pound. For parts Of machinery
where strength Is required weight for weight IL is not
as strong iron. As such Iron can be bought for
ID cents pound aluminium would be worth less than
that for the same strength aluminium would be four
times bulky. For spoons and knfe-handlcs.
where no particular quality except looks is called
for it might be worth as much tin, say % cents
a pound. The drawback in that would be its
great sofness as IL soils the fingers when handled like
lead The ony use for which at present pure
aluminium may take, with advantage, the place OF
onger-known metals, is for electric appliances and
wires. For the same diameter, aluminium is twice
as good conductor iron its weight is almost ex-
actly ore-third but its strength Is only one-f0urth,
% that the wire could only be stretched three ourths
the distance which now iron wire Is stretched
TO keep ihe relation between weight, strength
For these purposes aluminium might be worth 12
cents pound IL eqnid De aae ma narGer & Dy dUSg
aInmInium short of aluminium bronze which is es
sentially 30 per cent copper, met with was only
about the strength OF brass. The alloys OF aluminium
have all been and tried thousands Of times but
no value has been found In them which would make
tho aluminium worth more than copper-say. per
haps. Is cents pound The aluminium bronze keeps
fairly bright, but when maGe i'll its proper proportion
is extremely hard - work. In THIS bronze aluminium
shows It's best, but does not come up to good steel
in ease of handling and WORKING. one advantage Is
that the bronze is elastic and sprngy even when al
most red hot. II consists essentially Of 90 per cent
conner aud 10 per cent aluminium. How much the
metal is worth for advertising medals, for plaques ana
other ~ mOrc sensational character, IL, q
course impossible T. estimate. lts value ranks With
that OF the crDmO. At present. It's greatest use Hes
In the magnetic power which 1t has for srecnbacks,
and proving the defective experience OF capitalists
While, therefore, Will be seen from the frequent
examples quoted. the true value OF aluminium does
e much above that ~ zinc. which costs cents a
pound. the cheapest aluminium in the market IS hell
at - % and the manufacturers are already competed
send arOund circulars, In which you may real be-
tween the lines: = Tell some use OF aluminium
There Is not dngle application at present, IN which
aluminium ranks intrlnsically above the value OF the
same weight OF copper. which Il 10 cents nouns-