IMPROVEMENTS IN Hill, for the Invention of OBTAINING ALUMINIUM AND ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Archer Wilde, of 15, Ladbroke Gardens, Notting
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
Hill, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
OBTAINING ALUMINIUM AND ALUMINIUM ALLOYS."
Sealed the 2nd March 1877, and dated the 22nd November 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Archer Wilde at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd November 1876.
EDWARD ARCHER WILDE, of 15, Ladbroke Gardens, Notting Hill, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING ALUMINIUM AND ALUMINIUM
ALLOYS."
Lead or a sulphide of that metal or a mixture of the two are melted, and in a
melted condition are poured upon dried or burnt alum. The crucible in which
they are contained is then placed in a furnace and heated together with suitable
fluxes. The metal when poured out of the crucible will be found to be mixed with
aluminium.
The aluminium and lead can either be subsequently separated the one from the
other by any known means, or the alloy or mixture of the metals can be employed
for various useful purposes for which pure lead is more or less unsuited.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Archer Wilde in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd
May 1877.
EDWARD ARCHER WILDE, of 15, Ladbroke Gardens, Notting Hill, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING ALUMINIUM AND ALUMINIUM
ALLOYS."
Lead or a sulphide of that metal or a mixture of the two are melted, and in a
melted condition are poured upon dried or burnt alum. The crucible in which they
are contained is then placed in a furnace and heated together with suitable fluxes.
The metal when poured out of the crucible will be found to be mixed with
aluminium.

page_text: The aluminium and lead can either be subsequently separated the one from the
other by any known means, or the alloy or mixture of the metals can be employed
for various useful purposes for which pure lead is more or less unsuited.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe more in detail the method in which I prefer
to operate.
I take alum, preferably ammonia alum, and dry it at a gentle heat until the
water of crystallization is driven off, it is then placed in the furnace and heated
until the sulphur is wholly or nearly all expelled. I also take lead as pure as can
be obtained. I employ also a mixture (herein-after called mixture 1) consisting of
one half dried borax and one half boracic acid, and another mixture (herein-after
called mixture 2) consisting of half carbon and half dried borax. I weigh out
30 grammes of the alumina and 180 grammes of lead, 12 grammes of mixture 1,
and 12 grammes of mixture 2. I fill a plumbago crucible with the alumina or
burnt alum, and place half the lead on the top and cover over with a layer of
mixture 1, place it in the furnace, and leave it for twenty minutes, when it will be
at a bright red heat; I then take out the crucible and stir with an iron rod or
spoon for at least 5 minutes, taking care not to throw the alumina out of the
The contents of the
crucible, and thoroughly mixing the alumina with the lead.
crucible should have considerably sunk down and be of a yellow color. I add the
rest of the lead and some more of mixture 1, and replace it in the furnace; in
10 minutes I take out the crucible and stir again, and add more of mixture 1; by
this time the contents of the crucible should have greatly sunk down and be quite
yellow in color. If the contents of the crucible have not become yellow in color it
must be returned to the furnace and stirred at intervals of 10 minutes until that
object is attained, the whole of the 12 grammes of mixture 1 should by this time
have been used. I now add the 12 grammes of mixture 2 and return the crucible
to the furnace for half an hour, I then take it out, stir well, and press down the slag
which should be a black pasty mass into the molten lead, pressing and squeezing
out the metal it contains as far as possible; I then pour out the metal, which will
be found to be an alloy of lead and aluminium. The slag also will contain a
quantity of reduced aluminium.
The following chemical tests may be applied:-Take a portion of the lead and
place it in a glass tube with boiled distilled water, and hermetically close the ends;
in a short time a deposit will be seen in the tube; this proves the metal to be an
alloy. Dissolve the metal in nitric acid, pass sulphuretted hydrogen through the
solution, filter and fuse the precipitate with carbonate of soda on charcoal before the
blow pipe; the presence of two metals will be plainly seen.
If the precipitate thrown down by sulphuretted hydrogen is washed with dilute
hydrochloric acid, the wash water will give with reagents results quite different
from the salts of lead.
What I claim is the production of aluminium and alloys of aluminium and lead,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Archer Wilde, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
E. A. WILDE. (L.S.)