Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-09-27
AMAZING TAURIC ACID.
NEW CHEMICAL AGENT That MAKES
STEEL AS SOFT As PUTTY.

STEEL AS SOfT AS PUT TY.
| Discovery That May RevoIutionize the
| Working of Metals in tho Arts and
Trades-Made by Theodore Olan by the
Mercst Accident - Derived From Moss.
One of the must valuabis discoveE:
les in recent years, from a Scientific
point Of view, is that made by a Swe-
dish professor in Chemistry in Was
ington. He is Theodore Olan.
He has found q new element in the
chemical world which will soften steel,
gold, silver aluminium ana many
other metals, making them as soft and
dactile in the hand as ball Of putty:
The discovery was made by the
merest accident but that it Iklll ,revo-
lutionize the working Of metals i'll
many of the arts and trades is beyohd
question. The new chemical agent is
named tauric acid by its discoverer.
This comes from tauric moss, the
principal element in the new chemical,
tauric moss being peculiar lichen. or
fungus which grows on rocks and the
| roots of trees in many parts of the
country, It is common I'd this part
of the United States, but littls is
known of it in chemistry.
Many eminent chemists who have
heard of the new discovery aud have
scon practical tests made with it by
It's discoverer say it is o wonder in
the world of chemistry and that it has
q great future before it.
Professor Olan, the discoverer OF
tauric acid, is connected with the Ia
boratory of tho Swedish American
Society for Chemical Research in
Washington. He has given his dis
covery to the world without expect
ing to receive ons penny in return,
He will not even have 1t patented, SO
hs to derive any profit from it's Use:
Nothing but fame of the discovery
will como to this modest chemist,
heretofore unheard oi, but today the
chief subject of conversation in scien-
tific circles.
To reporter for the Press Profes-
Bor Olan described his new discovery,
how he found its value by accident,
and how tauric acid is made. He is
in the city comforting with several
prominent chemists; concerning the
new chemical agent and they were
astonished by the tests made by him,
For years the most eminent chemists
of the world had been working to de-
velop what Professor Olan has found,
but without success.
Olan is not more than twenty-eight
years old and has been in this coun-
try only sixteen months. He was ed
ucated in the School of Mineralogy
in Christiana, Norway, and in the
Academic de Saint Patrie, in Raris.
All his work has been along the lines
of scientific research and experiment.
In telling of his discovery to re-
porter for the Press lately, Professor
Olan said:
"Several weeks ago I was making
some experiments with tauric moss in
my laboratory in Washington. This
moss is a common lichen, which grows
almost everywhere in damp places,
aud although medical properties are
derived from many such lichen, tauric
moss is little known in chemistry.
"This moss is powerful as decom-
posing agent, aud with many minerals
it acts the same rs does rust upon
iron and other metals. T had not the
slightest idea of the discovery 7 was
about to make.
ST was experimenting with it in
conjunction with several chemicals,
and in drawing off the residue on a
metal dish I found that the bottom of
| the dish had become softened. At
first I supposed the metal had been
decomposed by the acids, but this was
not the case.
''The reason for this peculiar con-
dition of the metal dish only could be
attributed to some element in the
tauric moss, and then I began the ex-
periments which developed the new
substance -tauric acid.
'T spent night and day in expert
menting before I had perfected this
new acid, and found what it really
would do. A few days ago my labors
were rewarded by fully developing
the new agent. .r
''By placing gold, silver, steel, alu-
miuum or lead in this acid, I found
they became soft as dough, so that
they might be worked with the hand
into any shape or form. Although
steel softens readily when placed in u
vessel containing tauric acid, strange
to say, the acid has no effect upon
iron. I am unable to explain this at
present, but 1 shall continue my ex-
periments until the reason for this is
made clear.
''Tauric acid will be of great value
to jewelers. in making designs in pre-
cious metals. Designs may be mould
ed OF beaten to the required shape
without heat being used at all.
I'm dentistry expect it to work a
revolution in the filling OF cavities in
the teeth. Instead Of beating, plug
ging and hammering, according to the
| methods now in use, the gold OF sill
YER, whichever it may be, may be
softened by tauric acid, then placed
in the cavities while in soft condi-
| zion.
"After being placed in position the
filings will harden. All that is neces-
sary to make the metals rs they were
before is.to expose them to the open
mir. In this way the metals will be
made much the same as amalgam.
s'Thele are many other ways in
which this new acid will prove useful.
But it really is in its infancy. 1t
may be made Mt slight cost, and the
uses to which it may be putare almost
without limit" :"
In explaining how tauric acid is
/