The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-02

ing it electrically, and by the same
agent chromium can be covered with a
coating of the metal with which il is
TO be employed and oxidation COM
pletely prevented. In short the chem
zeal application of electricity is being
extended every day.
100000 TONS OF COPPER MADE IN
ELECTRIC FURNACES.
One hundred thousand tons of copper
are now being produced annually by
electric reduction processes. This is
one-quarter of the output of the world.
! The Gilmore process alone, used in this
country, insures a production from one
plant of 335 tons a week Another
plant located not far from New York
/ City produces electrically 200 tons
week. The industry is extending and
there are at present 20 copper refining
plants using electrolytic processes.
Electrically produced aluminium makes
almost as great a showing. The metal
is produced in England, France,
Switzerland and the United States
England and France are making very
little of 1t at the present time. The
Heroult process is used in Switzerland
and the Hall process is in use in this
country. The Swiss factories are To-
Gated at Neuhausen, LIE Praz and Foy-
ers. The American factories are To-
Odbcu dl view henSlDSIOn, Penn.
Niagara and st. Michael. It costs under
electrical methods % cents a pound to
make the metal abroad. In the United
States it costs SO cents. The difference
in the cost is Occasioned by the diff
ference in wages paid to the workmen.
but this is balanced by tariff duty of
10 cents a pound. If the price can be
reduced to about half of what it is
now, aluminium VIII become a most
formidable rival Of copper Another
electrical triumph is the plating of
aluminium. The reason aluminium can
not be plated under the old system is |
because the metal is ordinarily covered
by thin coating of alumina, which |
must be removed. This can be removed /
by electric treatment and the desired /
plating put on.
MAKING STEEL DIRECT FROM I
IRON ORE.
By means of an electric current it is
now possible to make steel directly
from iron ore. The Laval process of
electric iron smelling, used in Sweden,
renders this possible. The process is
very simple. The pulverized ore is
mixed with carbon and subjected to
heat in a rotating cylinder. 1t is then
brought into contact with an electric
arc of great power. The ore is rapidly
reduced to metallic iron, which is al
lowed to flow into a furnace where it
s converted into steel or if this is not
desired 1t is allowed to run into molds
TO await further treatment This proc
ess is most economical, reducing the
cost much below that of the old
method. Edison's method of extracting
ron from the New Jersey hills is cleo
ric in all its features. There is a
treat quantity of finely divided iron ,
scattered through the rocks of the :
orange mountains. and if this inventor I
in working his magnetic !
eparator on a commercial basis he
will prevent the bulk of the iron trade
.oing to the west, as it now threatens
o do. Electric coal mining has re-
eived so much exploitation that it i
leeds little more comment than a mere :
Erecting of attention to the fact that q
he past year has witnessed a great =
dvance in electric methods. Even tin t
now reduced extraordinarily, and n
ne genius has hit upon method for +
tilizing tin scrap by decomposing it Il
Electrically and reforming it through s
ne same agency into ingots.
BAR OF SILVER 81 FEET LONG. h
Is INCHES WIDE. L L
In a New Jersey silver-refining works q
lay be seen a silver belt 81 feet long, Is p
aches wide and weighing 40 pounds. 1t Il
part of a great electric deposition b
ystem, and is, in fact, the negative N
Die of the deposition battery. The re- Il
lction capacity of this factory is so b.
o ounces of silver annually 1t is one r
many in this country, for the electric pl
'ocesses are rapidly taking the place lsjy
the old methods. Turning naturally in