The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-04-20
ALUMINIUM A COMING METAL
United States Geological Survey Is
sues Optimistic Report.

Perhaps no other metal has beer
used in so great a variety OF ways dur
ing so comparatively brief history
as has aluminium. II is question
whether the automobile industry would
have made such remarkable progress
during the last decade without the ac-
companying development OF the metal
lic aluminium industry, for very many
OF the castings used in the manufac-
turc Of motor cars are made from this
light. rigid metal. The use of alumni
mum i'm the recently born art of avia-
ton is also of great popular interest,
and here again the same qualities OF
lightnoss and rigidity recommend it.
Aluminium is the most abundant of
an the metals. II is an essential con-
sttuent of all important rocks except
sandstones and limestones. Ii is found
chiefly in the slicates such as the field
spars, micas, clays. etc, and as the
hydroXide in the mineral bauxite. from
which il is now produced on COM
mercial scale It's oxide makes up be-
tween Is and l6 per cent of the earth's
crust I'm spite of this great album |
dance the metal itself was, up To 1880, !
a chemical curiosity, and one of the /
early reports of the United States Geo
logical Survey quotes it at $l25 a !
Troy ounce-Sl5 pound. The reason
for its rarity and high price was the
lack of a commercial method of eX
tracing ii easily and cheaply from its
chemical combination with oxygen. for
which IL has remarkable affinity.
with the introduction of electrolytic
processes the metal has now taken a
high place among the commercial
metals. ana from production of SO
pounds i'm 1883 it's consumption
amounted in 1909 to the enormous to-
tan Of 34,21O,O0O pounds, valued at APP
proximately % cents a pound for ingot ,
metal.
Many Uses of Aluminium.
The use of metallic aluminium, par
tlcularly in bimetallc tubing, which
is employed in paper making and in
chemical and other lines of manufac-
ture, is making a steady growth. and
promises a large and substantial vol
ume of business in the near future ,
The manufacture of aluminium cook ,
ing utensils is also on a sound footing
These utensils have won their way .
INTO favor by sheer force Of merit, de- 2
spite their rather high price.
Aluminium is extensively used in the
ron and steel industry for removing
oxygen from iron and other substances
md in welding. Metallic aluminium IS
las also the power Of combining chem .
cally with the gases imprisoned dur
ng the cooling of metals, thus prevent
ng porosity. Its use i'm castings.
where IL is alloyed with copper zinc. or
ickel is also growing II is one of
he most melleable of all metals. 1t
axes and retains a very high polish
nd Is therefore employed in the man
facture Of articles of everyday use q
lmOst without limit. Some OF these
ever uses are for wall paper" cell
7g panels, stamped or hammered y
rays. etc, as a substitute for litho-
raphic stones and zinc plates. and i'm
be- panels Of car and carriage bodies.
s powder it is used in the manu-
lCturc of nontarnishing metallic
lints and varnishes. Aluminium paint r.
valuable in protecting iron and in
udering woodwork partly nreproof