The Portland daily press., 1897-10-26
RHEUMATISM |. |

the carbon bedplate. The graphite .crpci,
BILE was also carefully wrapped upon the
outside with covering of asbestos about
half an nch thick. An alternating cur
rent of fifty volts, and varying in ouen-
ttty from eight hundred to fifteen hun
dred amperes, was passed through the
five-eighths inch carbon rod. Through a
perforation madesin the bottom of the car
bon plate a strong blast of carbon vapor
was emitted as soon as the furnace got
| heated up, and continued during the
whole time the current remained on.
| At the end of about two hours the cur
| rent was turned off and the furnace al
| lowed to cool down, when it was taken to
| pieces. The whole surface of the carbon
rod was found to be covered with bril-
| liant crystalline formation, the crystals
varying in Siz9 from pin point to large
pin S head The crystals were pyramidal
| in form, and upon examination under a
microscope they were found to consist of
a thin transparent casing, with an in
terror and base portion of graphite. The
| crystals were found to cut glass with the
greatest ease. Under the oxyhydrogen
blowpipe the crystals were wholly con-
sumed, which seemed to show that they
were not composed of any form of carbide
or metallic salt. The charcoal in the FUR
mace was nearly all yolatilized, and at the
| top of the furnace was found consider
1
the fibers being quite strong and resemb-
ling asbestos. but capable of resisting q
temperature far above the fusion point OF
asbestos. This was probably formed from
impurities or ash volatilized from the
charcoal. This may serve as suggestion
for the production of a fbrous material
which will stand a much higher tempera-
ture than asbestos. The next experiment
was conducted in the following manner:
The same form of furnace was employed
as that above described, except that no
charcoal was used, the furnace being en-
tirely empty. simultaneously with the
passage of the electric current through the
furnace, a current of Illuminating gas
| from the street main was passed through
out at the bottom. At the end of about
two hours the electric current was turned
1 off, the furnace allowed to cool, when 1t
/ was taken apart as before. There was
found upon the carbon rod the same crys-
talline formation as in the first instance,
/ and which appeared under examination
| to be of the same character as that first
| formed. Unfortunately, was unable to
/ continue my Investigations, owing to the
1 fluctuations in the current occasioned by
my work causing trouble with the cleo
| tric-light supply in the neighborhood,
that the experiments had to be stopped
Owing to the heating Of the leads, which
were inadequate for the work, and to the
violent boiling of the water in hogs
head employed as resistance, it was i'm
possible to keep the current on for more
than two hours at time Had I been
able to continue the current as long as [
would have liked, it is possible that
more results would have been attained.
l am expecting soon to take up the
work again, and 1t is my intention not
only to continue the experiments under
| afmOSnhprio nrlSSnrR hJIf 10 9uTT0IJnn
the carbon rod or ilament during the
passage of the electric current with an at
mosphere of hydro-carbon and carbon
vapor under exceedingly high pressure,
say 40, 900 to $4,000 pounds to the square
inch. OF course, commercial diamonds
may be produced without high pressure,
but, reasoning from analogy, the fact
that pressure has been shown to assist in
the formation of crystalline carbon, 1t
appears to me likely that high pressure
will be of very material advantage. This
pressure may be applied by the volatiliza-
ton Of hydro-carbon matter in the fur
mace, or by forcing into the furnace a
hydro- carbon gas under suitable pressure.
In regard to the form of furnace that
would be employed for working under
high pressure, strong steel Cylinder
made from section of an old gun would
be suitable. A study of the breech
mechanism Of a cannon may offer some
suggestion for closing a port to the fur
mace. The interior of the furnace must
be lined with magnesite, or other refrac
tory substance and non-conductor of heat
The high pressure electric furnace. in
addition to its application to the produc
ton of diamonds, will probably be found
to serve a useful purpose in the produc-
ton of rare carbides, or carbides of metals
/ which, under atmospheric pressure, be
come volatilized before reaching d tenn
perature sucfiiently high to react witt
1