Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-12-22
POINTS ON RARE METALS.
Substances that Are More Valuable
Than Gold.

Some people are under the impress
sion that the now fairly familiar whit
ish metal. platinum, is one Of the few
substances more expensive than that
fascinating yellow material we spend
50 great portion Of our lives in hunt
ma.
This, however, Is not so, even al
lowing that, bulk by bulk, platinum
Is hardly less than twice as heavy az
gold. At the rate Of $50 per troy
ounce, gold is worth nearly 1895 a
pound, platium only 500.
II, though you were the fortunate
pOssessor of a lump OF platinum equal
In bulk to a pound of gold, the sllyery-
looking lump would be worth, not
500. but $li5. for platinum, II not
the dearest Is the heaviest thing on
earth.
Three times as costly and practical
ly as heavy Is that wonderful metal
iridium, known to the users Of gold
nibbed pens as furnishing the intense
ly hard. non -corrodibe silyery points
Pure iridium Is priced at $500 per
pound, and Is so heavy relatively that
this weight Of IL would be In bulk
rather larger than half the size Of a
pound OF gold.
Yet the so-called iridium points OF
a gold nib are not OF pure iridium, but
Of a natural blend Of iridium and an
other rare metal, osminum. This
blend is found in the form Of scales
some fattened, some Of q pin-head
shape-in localities where placer gold
Is got, placer gold being the sort that
is obtained by washing loose dirt and
not by crushing,
OF these "iridosmine" scales the
pin head type alone are suitable for
pen points, and DO not exceed a fifth
Of the entire yearly find. which may
average three and half to four
ounces per ton Of gold obtained.
OF the pin head scales 10000 DO not
weigh more than an ounce. and are
worth about $780, Pure iridium is al
lOyed with platinum to make the clos
ing faces OF breach-blocks for modern
artillery, this compound being the
only thing that will stand the corro-
sion OF the gases and the enormous
heat-about 1900 degrees centigrade.
over a thousand rounds have been
fired from a trial gun without the vent
showing the slightest sign OF wear
For pure osmium there is not a
great deal OF use, except in chemistry,
yet the rarity OF II drives up the price
to $50 an ounce, 5000 a troy pound.
AT a temperature Of 100 degrees CEN
tigrade this singular metal vaporlzes
and gives off gas which stains the
experimenter's skin a permanent black,
and which may blind him by Deposit
ing film Of the metal on the eyeball.
Rhodium is another Of the precious
metals belonging 10 what is known as
the platinum" group. II is one OF
the hardest metals to melt, and Will
only yield 70 the electric arc or the
oxyhydrogen lime furnace. II can be
used, like iridium for pointing gold
pens. It's cost figures out to 1926 a
pound, but al that it is a trihe lighter
than gold when taken bulk for bulk.
The curiously named metal "palla-
dunn stands at 1915 per pound. ana
In appearance is OF a silver-White IA
steel grey one per cent of Il makes
gold brittle and yellowlsh- 20
per cent. turns the compound ouite
white. The air has no influence what.
ever on palladium. nor does IS tar.
nish In sulphuric gases. For these
reasons II is used, in alloy with gold
for the finely graduated scales OF vain.
able astronomical instruments H. in
stead OF a silver currency we employ
ed any OF these almost Incredibly cost
~ metals-supposing we could get
enough Of them which would be ain.
cult-our ideas OF value would under.
go a sudden change.
An iridium dime, without looking any
Inherent would be worth $3.50, and an
osmium one would have an exchange
able value OF twice the amount. Small
change In either metal would have Ia ba
made by an expert.